Brighton and Hove City Council is lobbying the government to become one of the first local authorities in England to trial a national registration and licensing system for short-term rental properties listed on platforms including Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo.
The council has cited concerns about the number of residential properties being converted to visitor accommodation in areas where rental supply is constrained. Current estimates suggest between 2,000 and 6,000 homes in the city are advertised as short-term lets, though the council has acknowledged difficulty in determining accurate figures.
Implementation timeline uncertain
The council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee was informed that the government is still developing the online platform and intends to test it with selected local authorities. An early version could be available this spring, though implementation may be delayed until later this year or early 2027.
The proposed licensing scheme aims to monitor local rental supply, establish health and safety standards, manage complaints related to noise and waste, and ensure tax compliance.
Council review scheduled
According to Brighton and Hove News, the council will discuss the proposal at Hove Town Hall on 24 March as part of broader measures to manage the city’s short-term rental market and its impact on housing availability.
The outcome of the council’s bid to participate in the pilot programme will depend on the government’s selection process and the readiness of the registration platform. If approved, Brighton and Hove would join a limited number of authorities testing the system before any potential national rollout.
