British housing market crushed by rogue landlords cashing in on foreign lettings
GETTY Landlords are dodging the law by applying for planning permission
There is currently a 90-day cap on short-term lettings, designed to stop unscrupulous landlords advertising rooms in their properties on sites like AirBnB all year round – meaning British nationals looking for a permanent home cannot access housing stock. But landlords are dodging the law by applying for planning permission, sometimes for completely bogus reasons, which nullifies the 90 day cap thanks to a quirk in the law, according to the chief executive of a large-scale short letting firm. Marilee Karr, of Under the Doormat, wants urgent action to be taken to stop landlords taking advantage of the loophole and disadvantaging British long-term renters, especially in London.
She said: “While I support people applying for planning permission for homes which the homeowner uses sometimes and would therefore otherwise sit empty, it is sad to see rogue landlords are trying to find new ways around it. “The principle of the 90-day rule is to allow homeowners to rent out their own home when they are away and to ensure that landlords don’t take properties that would otherwise be let out to long term tenants and turn them into permanent short-lets. “This isn’t good for the industry, the housing market or for Londoners. It is sad to see that with the Airbnb crackdown - a welcome step - that rogue landlords who were abusing the system and breaking the law are now seeking new ways to get around these sensible rules. “They are there to ensure that the sharing economy is just that: sharing real homes, not unregulated home-hotels. I worry this could become a big issue and a get-out clause for the wrong type of landlords unless councils handle it in the right way.”
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