An MPs’ introduction of her Private Member’s Bill which, if passed, would cut down the “nightmare” of Airbnb houses raucous partying.

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Labour MP for York Central, Rachael Maskell, says there increasing numbers of Airbnbs in the city which she claims are let out as "party houses", however the trend is now moving into surrounding suburbs and further afield into rural areas.

Maskell cites the number of Airbnbs in her constituency is around 2,000 and told fellow MPS: "In the city centre, we often find family streets where there are five or six Airbnbs and it is having a serious impact."

She recently contacted the city’s local media and said that in a cul-de-sac there is one property advertising on Airbnb which can house 30 people at any one time and said: "It is at the end of a family residential street, and people in my community have told me that the noise goes on all night … People do not feel safe in their own home any more. I heard from one family who put their house on the market and moved out of the city, which was the only way they could escape the party houses that were increasingly in their area."

If the Private Member’s Bill is passed into law which is being discussed in Parliament this week, it will make it compulsory for landlords who have turned ‘domestic’ properties into short term lets/holiday accommodation to be licensed. Local authorities will be given new powers to remove those licences, ban properties in certain areas from being offering holiday lets and will be able to issue fines for non-compliance.

The MP is putting the blame of escalating house prices on the ‘explosion’ of short lets throughout York which gives little hope for people to step onto the housing ladder.

She has previously said: “Party groups are coming to the city and we're seeing a big rise in Airbnbs where people are staying, so it's now not just contained in the city centre, it's growing out to the communities where people live.

"People are buying up housing stock, cash in hand, so the chance for first-time buyers trying to get their house is disappearing and it's pushing up the market price."

“I am bringing a focus on the devastation that Hen and Stag parties is bringing to York and why we must pivot to become a leading family friendly city for the sake of residents and our economy. York is better than this.”

Following Maskell’s Private Members Bill announcement , Airbnb stated that in 2020 it introduced its ‘party ban’ during the pandemic and plans to make it permanent.

The online platform states that due to the ban there has been a 63 per cent fall in the number of complaints over Airbnb host homes ‘partying’ since it was introduced.

An Airbnb statement reads ,“The ban has been well received by our host community and we’ve received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials. As we build on this momentum, we believe the time is right to codify this policy”

Upon making the ban permanent Airbnb has ditched its maximum number of occupants which was 16 and is “based on feedback from a number of hosts who have listings that can house above 16 people comfortably.”

Amanda Cupples, general manager for northern Europe at Airbnb, says: “Today’s announcement makes clear that there is no place for disruptive parties on Airbnb.”