Liverpool could follow cities such as London and Berlin by limiting the number of times a person can rent out their property on platforms such as Airbnb.

Councillors will table a motion at next week’s city council meeting calling on the Mayor of Liverpool to appeal to the government for a cap on entire home listings to 90 nights per year.

The motion, brought by councillors Laura Robertson-Collins, Nick Small and Hetty Wood, notes that the local authority broadly welcomes online homesharing platforms like Airbnb here in Liverpool but believes they need to be properly regulated and managed to reduce the negative impact they can have on neighbours.

The council notes these negative impacts can include anti-social behaviour from ‘irresponsible guests’ and a reduction in the supply of affordable housing in the private rented sector.

From 1 January 2017, Airbnb’s systems automatically began limiting entire home listings in Greater London to 90 nights per calendar year.

Hosts who want to rent their properties out for more than the 90-day period are required to apply for change-of-use planning permission. Outside of the capital, planning authorities have to rely on the ‘material change of use’ rule.

The council believes that such regulation is not “smart enough, comprehensive enough” and was put in place “before technologies that allow homesharing existed”.

If the motion is passed, Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson will write to the Secretary of State for Communities, the leader of the Local Government Association (LGA) and the chief executive of Airbnb to request the following:

• Homesharing sites should automatically cap homesharing activities at 90 days per home per calendar year as a default
• Homesharing sites should share their data with local authorities
• Legislation to be introduced to allow local authorities to set up a register of homesharing properties and hosts within their areas to ensure that minimum standards are met and that hosts meet a fit and proper test
• Planning legislation reformed so areas outside of London are covered by the 90-day rule
• Ensure proper regulation of all unregulated short-term letting

However Joe Davies, co-founder of Host-So-Simple, a Liverpool-based property management firm, thinks any limitations on Airbnb lets would not only be bad news for his company, but would also have a negative impact on the city’s tourism offer.

He says: “Whilst I appreciate there may be a need to limit Airbnb in certain cities such as London or Berlin where there is a housing shortage, this is not the case in Liverpool.

“You only have to look around in the city centre to see the sheer amount of new developments flying up to see that we are a growing city.

“Tourism is booming in the city and anything which contributes to, and enhances, the enjoyment of our visitors to the city of Liverpool is something we should protect.

“For us to continue that growth we need to make sure we invest in our tourism, not limit it. The expansion of the northern area of the city centre with the Liverpool Waters development, new cruise terminal and Everton FC stadium is further evidence of the planned increase in housing supply.

“We have to remember that although Airbnb is a global corporation, it’s putting money back into the pockets of local residents. Residents who may have a spare room, or may work away from the city occasionally yet not long enough for a traditional let.

“Putting a limit on the superb offerings that Liverpool has on Airbnb a the moment would be severely detrimental to the experience that we can offer our ever-growing number of tourists which, in turn, would be detrimental to the city itself.”

The motion will be debated during a city council meeting at Liverpool Town Hall next Wednesday (20 September).

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