The government is considering forcing landlords who rent out homes as Airbnb-style short lets to apply for planning consent.

This would not be applied retrospectively nor to long term lettings, but existing landlords with ASTs switching to short lets would require consent if the proposals were agreed.

A decision is likely ahead of the Conservative party conference next month.

Over the weekend the Daily Mail, quoting unnamed government sources, said this was one of three measures being considered by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to assist local housing markets.

The others were to give councils the powers to ban new-build homes being sold as holiday properties, and to increase the proportion of new builds designated as ‘affordable’.

Currently councils can only ban new-build sold as second homes in the local plans have been backed in a community referendum.

The Mail reports that the source insists that while ministers are “not anti-second homes” but feel there is a need to tackle issues in areas where “high levels of second home ownership are blamed for pricing local people out of the housing market.”

You can see the Mail story here.

Critics of Airbnb and other short lets are becoming increasingly vocal. The Scottish Government is already promoting the idea of strict controls on Airbnb and other short lets – including possibly requiring planning consent and licensing.

Meanwhile in Cornwall, politicians of both major parties have voiced concern over former council houses being used as Airbnb and other short lets in a part of the UK with a major housing shortage.