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Written question asked by Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. It was answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour) on Friday, 17 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Holiday Accommodation

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of granting local authorities greater powers and resources to prevent the misuse of short-term let accommodation.

Answer

The Government is taking action to manage the impact of short-term lets on local areas. This includes making fair and progressive changes to the tax system, by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime and increasing the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. In addition, we are empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

The government expects landlords to take active steps to tackle fraud and ensure social housing is used fairly – this may include taking legal action.

Further, the government has commissioned a review exploring how effectively social housing providers manage their stock, including tackling issues such as fraud. Findings will be published later this year.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1715
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Holiday accommodation Local government Powers
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk