New year, same old failures: Illegal short-term lets continue to blight Westminster |
By Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE
As Westminster settles into January, many residents are starting the year in the same way they ended the last one: dealing with the disruption caused by illegal short-term lets.
What should have been a quieter period after Christmas has instead brought more late-night parties, rubbish dumped on pavements and streets that feel less like communities and more like unregulated hotel corridors. For many people, this is no longer an occasional nuisance. It is a regular feature of life under Labour-run Westminster.
This is not about legitimate short-term letting done responsibly. And it is not about stopping tourism or visitors enjoying London, especially at a time of celebration over the festive period. It is about illegal short-term lets operating in clear breach of the law and the failure of a Labour administration to enforce the rules that already exist.
The Conservatives introduced clear rules on short-term lets. Private homes can only be let as short-term accommodation for........