New Announcement for London Hosts

[Lizzie]

Hello London hosts,

By now, many of you will have received an email from the Team regarding a new system announcement in Greater London. This outlines, that from 2017 entire home listings will automatically, through the Airbnb system, be limited to 90 nights of hosting a year. I imagine you have several questions on this, so for more information take a look at these FAQs.

We understand that this may apply to many of you in Community Center, so we also wanted to highlight this new announcement to you here. Please do share any thoughts you may have.

Thanks,

Lizzie

-------------------Update on February 24, 2017---------------------

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are well.

I know many of you have additional questions on the above and so I want to keep you up-to-date and share with you the latest FAQ articles:

What short-term rental laws apply?

Night Limits

I hope you will find this useful and please do continue to share any thoughts you have, here in this thread.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Niki0]

Whilst great in principle, all this really means is that the focus will turn to other platforms who do not impose this limitation.

[David-and-Shully0]

I couldnt agree more. None of the other hosting portals have made any mention of this at all and it will just mean that if the 90 day total comes, hosts will just find a way of advising potential guests to use one of the other portals. Or worse still be forced to take bookings outside of any portal which is a loss of business for Airbnb and potentially damaging to hosts/guests alike.

Also, Airbnb say that in the Spring they will advise what documentaion they will require as proof of permission from relevant authortites. Yet they are beginning the 90 count from January 1st. Why? Why not bring in the rule when they can also tell all of us what we need to try and do to circumvent this, Then, and only then, they should begin the 90 day counter.

And if Airbnb have been in consulation with authroities over this they must surely know what permissions hosts will need to be allowed to continue past the 90 days. Yet they have told us nothing??

[Danny53]

100% this is a copy / paste of the air bnb wording:

I have permission to host beyond 90 nights. How do I keep my listing open to bookings?
You'll be able to notify the system of your permission in spring 2017. No listings will be limited until the mechanism for providing this is communicated.

AND YET I AM NOW BLOCKED FROM MORE BOOKINGS ON AIR BNB ON A PROPERTY AS IT IS SHOWING OVER 90 DAYS BOOKED!

[Bulent0]

Danny hi,

How could you get permission?

[Nicky-And-Julian0]

I don't live in Greater London but got the email which is a little disturbing..... I will get onto my council which is in Surrey.

Also did it go to anyone who house-shares or just to whole home listings?

[Nicholas-and-Michele0]

It would be useful for Airbnb to provide more support on these rules. Each council is different and like most people, it is a struggle to locate the right information that applies because it simply isn't out there. For example, in Southwark, property licensing is required for single flats.  However,  I am out of the zones which require a licence so it's not possible to apply. So how can I prove to airbnb that I am exempt? They should provide links and information for every council within the Greater London area to support us, the majority of us are only letting a single room or property.  It would be a good use of the few billion $$ in revenue. 

[Iman1]

Where are you finding that information about zones in Southwark? Would like to read it please!

[Nicholas-and-Michele0]

info on property licensing is  here although no guarantee it's the correct link or applies to you

[Iman1]

thanks for the southwark link

[Daniel-and-Marsio0]

Thanks Iman - this is an important point!

Each borough needs to provide an easy-to-find link to somewhere on their council website to offer information on this issue and a place to apply for permissions etc.

Airbnb could assist with this by providing a web page with a list of each London borough and the relevant links. This would save a lot of confusion and queries relating to individaul boroughs.

Daniel

[Vincent93]

I let out my converted garage as an entire place on Airbnb. This is classified as part of my house (rent-a-room) under UK legislation therefore I think I am exempt from the 90  day rule.

I would stil like to list on Airbnb as entire place as it has separate doors and is a truer description than shared plus would attract more views in a search.

I imagine a few people fall under this bracket, can we have clarity from Airbnb?

Thanks Host

[Ronda4]

Hi Vincent,

I am in exactly the same position as you.  I also need clarity on this as although my studio is self-contained with its own access, I am still only renting out a room in my freehold family house.

Can someone out there confirm the details?

RF 

[Nicholas-and-Michele0]

It appears that a lot of us have these quirky annexes which aren't necessarily suitable for full-time tenants (i.e. no separately metered services) but might have an independent entrance. This rule was really brought in to stamp out those landlords with multiple properties or perhaps those subletting multiple flats and then sticking them on the site. I'm not sure why airbnb didn't implement the 1 listing / 1 'owner' rule which they just did in NY. 

[Bulent0]

Well, I fall comletely on this category. Am running four different flats in London in three different boroughs and I actually have to make a complete planning application and from what I read in their websites, it will be most likely refused. So, AirBnb in London is gone? AirBnb, ore help please?