1st
Oct 2021
Another call for the government to clamp down on the major shift of long term rental homes switching to Airbnb type short lets, as crisis facing crisis the South West of England ‘homes’ disappearing for tenants.
In a recent meeting held by Devon County Council this week, it is weighing up the option to call for an all-party forum to agree upon a plan and take action as 70 per cent of rented housing stock in the last two years is no longer available for long term renters; in the past year house prices in areas of the country have jumped up by 20 per cent.
Obviously the crisis is compounded by increase of purchases for second homes with 8 per cent of South Hams housing in this category, North and East Devon is four per cent, and some of this is due to the Airbnb ‘takeover’.
Councillor Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour group on Devon County Council, will be responsible for putting forward his motion which “notes with concern that Devon is in the grips of a serious housing crisis”.
His motion adds: “Second home sales are soaring, private landlords are switching to holiday letting in huge numbers, significantly fewer homes are available to buy or rent, and both renters and buyers are being priced out of the county in an unprecedented way.
“The post-pandemic far south west property boom has especially compounded decades of systemic under investment in social and affordable housing, that has prevented local councils, housing associations, alms houses and charities from investing in more much needed homes for local people and families.
“Home ownership is now only a distant dream for so many and people who’ve lived here for generations are being pushed further away by property prices that they simply cannot afford.”
Hannaford has also asked to council for its assistance from its MPs to make sure that the new Housing secretary, Michael Gove, is made fully aware of the crisis and, “fully understands the collective housing challenges that we urgently face in Devon”.
The Liberal Democrats on the council demands the government to “end the tax dodge loop-hole of second home owners switching from council tax to business rates and then claiming ‘small business’ exemption, so they pay nothing at all” and to “re-extend the notice period given to tenants to six months [and] maintain the local housing allowances at covid-levels (plus cost-of-living increases) to support families into homes.”
The Conservative leader of the county council, has just said that the fall in PRS housing stock was “quite terrifying”, as well as “…if teachers, nurses and young professionals were turning down opportunities to work here because there’s no accommodation to rent, that’s got to change.”
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