A Labour MP has told the House of Commons that “families are being turfed out of their private rented homes under section 21 notices so that they can be turned into second homes and Airbnbs.”
Luke Pollard, the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, was speaking in a brief question and answer session about second homes in coastal areas.
He told fellow MPs: “The pandemic turbocharged the housing crisis in rural areas, especially in Devon and Cornwall. Families are being turfed out of their private rented homes under section 21 notices so that they can be turned into second homes and Airbnbs.”
He went on to say: “Does the [housing minister Rachel Maclean] agree with south-west supporters of the First Homes Not Second Homes campaign, which I run with Cornwall [Labour] councillor Jayne Kirkham, that it is time not only for increased council tax on second homes but for a proper licensing regime, so that communities can decide how many second homes should be in their community, to stop them being hollowed out?”
Maclean, answering for the government, said she was looking at the issue of registration of second homes through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill and other frameworks.
“We understand that, naturally, people want to go on holiday to beautiful areas, but there is an impact on communities. We need the registration scheme so that we understand and better mitigate that” Maclean responded.
In the same session, Maclean told Conservative MP Duncan Baker, who represents the tourist area of North Norfolk, that: “The new council tax second homes premium will enable councils, particularly in areas such as his with a strong tourism industry, to generate significant additional funding for local services. If they introduce the maximum premium, they will benefit from double the council tax revenue.”