Short term rentals trade body welcomes registration scheme

Plans by the Government to introduce a registration scheme for short-term holiday lets have been welcomed by the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA).

The trade association represents thousands of owners and businesses in the UK operating short term lets and they have been pushing for a national registration scheme.

That would make it easier to collect data on holiday rentals to deliver accurate reporting and help make policy decisions.

The STAA says that a registration scheme is the culmination of months of work between them and Government.

Scheme would need to be simple for owners

However, the trade body says it made clear from the start that for a scheme to be successful, it would need to be simple for owners to register with.

The scheme would also need to be straightforward for authorities to administer and cheap to run.

In a recent report by Oxford Economics, they found that short-term holiday lets benefit communities by boosting the local economy by £27.7bn in 2021.

That level of spending power helps deliver around half a million jobs and supports local businesses.

The report also found that 56% of visitor spend goes directly to hosts, helping hard-working families deal with the cost-of-living crisis.

‘Tiny proportion of the total housing market’

Andy Fenner, the STAA’s CEO, said: “Holiday lets represent a tiny proportion of the total housing market, yet provide vital flexible jobs and investment in our communities.

“The STAA wants the highest standards across our industry and clear, easy-to-use registration helps us achieve that.

“We have worked closely with the Government’s tourism officials to help develop this registration scheme and are very pleased that it has been announced.”

‘Scheme that is introduced is simple and low cost for hosts’

Merilee Karr, the STAA’s chair, said: “It’s critical that any scheme that is introduced is simple and low cost for hosts to register with and straightforward for authorities to run.

“It must also take into account the benefits that the short-term holiday lets industry brings to local communities and support owners who rent out properties that would otherwise sit empty.

“Any new regulatory solution should recognise our industry as an important part of the wider UK tourism proposition, which means we need a solution that gets the balance right.”