Government to review short-term holiday lets sector

The scheme, proposed in a new government review looking at the impact of increases in short-term and holiday lets in England, could involve physical checks of premises to ensure regulations in areas including health and safety, noise and anti-social behaviour are obeyed.

Further measures include a registration "kitemark" scheme with spot checks for compliance with rules on issues such as gas safety, a self-certification scheme for hosts to register with before they can operate and better information or a single source of guidance setting out the legal requirements for providers.

Airbnb listing data showed a 33% increase in UK listings between 2017 and 2018. Almost three quarters of people (72%) told the company in its green tourism report that the environmental benefits of home sharing played a role in their choice to travel using that platform.

However, the government said there can be an impact on housing supply and price in these areas and there are fears caused by evidence of a rise in anti-social behaviour including noise, waste and drunken behaviour in local communities.

The government has called for evidence to inform any future steps and it wants to hear the views of all parties, including hosts, online platforms, accommodation businesses and local authorities.