Labour MP Dame Tessa Jowell, is warning the government not to go ahead with the dispensing of planning permission that is required for private landlords to rent properties to tourists in London.

At present all private landlords within the capital must ask their local council to grant them permission to rent their properties short term for tourists. The council will decide whether they will allow applications, which will be dependent upon the number of requests in relation to the number of required homes for long term residential usage. 

The requirement dates back to the Great London Council's General Powers Act passed in 1973, this is despite the GLC being disbanded in 1986.

The DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) earlier this year in a statement said that the legislation was “unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy”.

The legislation is untenable for landlords as Ministers believe that each borough applies the rule differently. They claim that a level playing field should be brought in as it is confusing for landlords ....and that is why they are debating whether to get rid of the rules.

Jowell is highly critical of the debate and claims that if the legislation is scrapped then it could mean that councils would not be able to guarantee a stable private rental market for the community.

Dame Tessa said: “It is scandalous that the government is prepared wilfully to shrink further the supply of privately rented houses and flats. The government should be reforming private renting to give better protection to tenants, not encouraging landlords to turn rented properties into what are in effect unlicensed hotels.

“Many private rented tenants are being exploited by landlords constantly bringing in new tenants so they can raise rents. The government’s plans will make this problem worse – reducing the supply of stable rented homes, and further destabilizing local communities.”

Jowell, who is hopeful of being  Labour's frontrunner for the Mayoral Campaign in 2016, also told ministers to give councils' powers that will help them to set their own rules, to guarantee the local housing needs and meet the demand from tourists.