Cambridge latest city to consider restricting short lets

Cambridge councillors are to consider cracking down on Airbnb and other short term lets within the city.

A motion from the main opposition Liberal Democrat group calls for more regulation of holiday lets, which are a ‘source of neighbourhood nuisance’.

Lib Dem councillor Karen Young, who is behind the motion, is calling on the Labour-run city council to press the Government for action.

Poor standard

She says many lets are not in a suitable area, or are of poor standard, it is reported.

“Advertising a room on Airbnb and other similar platforms started off as a practical way to generate occasional income for a few, renting out a spare room or a whole dwelling for a few weeks of the year whilst on holiday.

“But the practice has grown hugely since the site was founded, and is now enormously commercialised,” she says.

Short-term lets have the effect of squeezing the housing market for people who want to live close by.”

Many properties are then not available for longer-term renting, she says.

“Uncontrolled changes of residential property to continuous short-term lets have the effect of squeezing the housing market for people who want to live close by to where they work – in particular, driving out young people”, she adds.

The motion will be debated and voted on at a full council meeting on Thursday.

This is potentially another nail in the coffin for modest investors like me.”

A property investor told the Daily Mail: “This is potentially another nail in the coffin for modest investors like me who have a property or two that are meant to be part of their pension income. Tax changes have already put a huge squeeze on us.”

Planning approval

The Government has consulted on plans to require planning approval for existing homes to be converted into short-term lets in English tourist hotspots.

Propertymark has urged the Government to allow local areas to decide if they need to clampdown on holiday lets.