There have been 1,400 new properties listed on holiday sites such as AirbBnB and Booking.com over the last 12 months alone says Kensington & Chelsea council leader Elizabeth Campbell (pictured).

It estimates that there are now as many as 9,584 short-term lets in the borough, which is up from 8,100 last year.

And 77% of those listed are entire dwellings rather than just single rooms.

Abuse of 90-day rules

The Council has reportedly hired a specialist consultancy to track properties across the various holiday let platforms and the company has already uncovered 500 breaching the 90-day rule.

In London, owners need to apply for planning permission if they want to let their properties for short-lets for more than 90 days a year.

The council, however, does not encourage owners to do so and there has been just one application granted in the last five years.

As was reported in The Neg, there is a holiday-lets registration scheme coming and it will be up and running ‘very soon’ according to Government Minister Chris Bryan.

Once it is, it should make it a lot easier for councils to monitor abuses of the 90-day rules.

We would support a national register to make sure properties that are registered as homes are not being lost to holiday lettings.”

Cllr. Campbell told London News Online: “People should continue to have the freedom to let their private home out for some of the year, with the benefits that brings to our local economy.

“Given the acute shortage of housing, there is a balance and we would support a national register to make sure properties that are registered as homes are not being lost to holiday lettings all year round.”