Liverpool consider restrictions on Airbnbs

The City Council must consider toughening its stance on unregulated short-term rentals such as Airbnb, calling for powers similar to those in Greater London.

In a motion by Cllr Alan Tormey, the City Council’s housing select committee is to consider whether to introduce special planning laws for short-term rentals, similar to those used for HMOs.

While Cllr Tormey’s motion accepted that “innovation in the way property can be let has widened the market and created opportunities for individuals to earn a second income”, it raised questions about the growing number of short-term rentals in the city, which has one of the UK’s leading tourist economies.

The motion read: ‘The growing market for ‘party houses’ can give local councils headaches. Homes rented only for a short time, with the aim of throwing a big party and leaving the resulting mess behind, have the potential to harm both the owners and the region.

Cllr Tormey’s motion flagged several concerns, including the impact on the local housing market, with fewer homes available for rent; the impact on licensed hotels and the bed and breakfast sector, and “potential risks to visitors, for example due to lack of fire safety inspections”.

The motion calls on Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson to ask the government to change planning laws to create a change of use classification for short-term holiday rentals.

Anderson is also being asked to seek powers to allow council to seek an enforceable exception to classification, which would allow residential premises to be used as temporary sleeping quarters for up to 90 days. This would align Liverpool with Greater London, which has similar powers.

A licensing regime for short-term vacation rentals is also proposed, which the motion says would “enhance the safety and quality of visitors and improve management practices for the benefit of neighbours.”

The motion is to be discussed by council on Monday, November 18.

Liverpool’s tourism and hospitality market remains one of the strongest in the UK, according to data released by consultant Colliers earlier this year.

The Colliers Hotel Market Index ranks Liverpool as the UK’s top city for hotel revenue per room, with average annual growth of 7.3% over the past four years. The city’s bid is also the fifth highest in the nation at 8,731, with another 878 in the pipeline.

Liverpool’s occupancy rate of 81.8% last year is the fourth highest in the UK, behind London, Edinburgh and Oxford, while the city ranks third behind Edinburgh and Glasgow in terms of the most strong for hotel performance relative to development costs.

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