‘Airbnb bill’ aimed at second home owners in Cornwall

A bill dubbed the “Airbnb Bill” has been presented to parliament by a North Cornwall MP, proposing that homeowners be required to seek planning permission before short-term letting their property, closing a loophole allowing them to avoid council tax by reclassifying their second homes as business lets.

John Brown, CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, backs the suggestion, describing 14,000 second homes in the county, while 22,000 people were on the housing waiting list.

Airbnb has said it supports the introduction of a registration scheme for people who wanted to let their homes to tourists, saying the majority of hosts on Airbnb are everyday people renting their place casually to make a little extra money.

Before a short-term let can be assessed for business rates it must have been available for short-term letting for at least 140 days in the previous year, and actually let for at least 70 days.

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