New short-term let planning rules ‘good news’ for rural communities, says CPRE

The government has announced measures to regulate short-term lets. Under the new rules, the government says planning permission will be required for future short-term lets and a new mandatory national register will provide valuable information and help ensure accommodation is safe.

Commenting on the decision, Paul Miner, Head of Campaigns and Policy at CPRE, the countryside charity, said:  

 ‘These new planning rules are good news for rural communities. Everyone deserves a home they can afford to live in. But the recent surge in short-term lets has prevented people in the countryside from finding housing they can afford to buy or rent, and in some cases local workers have been turfed out of their rented accommodation. 

‘We have long led calls on the government to introduce a second home and short-term lets register, with local authorities having the power to regulate the provision of short-term lets and to levy extra council tax on second homes. It’s pleasing to see the government has finally done the right thing by introducing these changes.

‘Our own research shows that the explosion in the number of homes marketed for Airbnb-style short-term lets is strangling rural communities. The worsening housing crisis is felt most acutely in rural areas which is why we’ve been calling for rapid action from the government.

‘We want everyone in the countryside to have a fair chance in life, whatever their circumstances. To make this a reality, we need to ensure there are enough low cost homes to rent or buy in our villages and market towns.’

Notes to editors

For data on the increase in holiday lets: https://www.cpre.org.uk/about-us/cpre-media/cpre-research-explosion-in-holiday-lets-is-strangling-rural-communities/