A Cornwall MP has proposed a law change for holiday lets in a crackdown on second homeowners “dodging council tax”.
The ‘Short-term Lets (Planning Permission) Bill’ was presented to parliament by Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire on Tuesday (3 June).
Under the proposal, coined the “Airbnb Bill”, homeowners would have to acquire formal planning permission before being able to change the status of a residential property to a short-term holiday let.
The Bill seeks to close a damaging loophole that allows second homeowners to convert residential properties into short-term holiday lets without planning permission.
Currently, homeowners who make their properties available to rent as self-catering accommodation can claim they are a small business, undermining council tax obligations.
To qualify for business rates, a short-term let must have been available to rent for at least 140 days in the prior year and must have actually been rented for a minimum of 70 days during that same period.
According to Cornwall Council, as of October 2023, there were 13,140 second homes in the county.
From 1 April 2025, the council agreed to charge an additional 100 per cent council tax premium on second homes.
The proposal follows a meeting between Cornish MPs and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook earlier this year about the growing housing emergency in Cornwall’s constituencies.
MP Ben Maguire said in a post on Facebook: “I have now officially presented my ‘AirBnB Bill’ to Parliament. It’s a simple change with a big impact: requiring planning permission before homes can be turned into short-term holiday lets, to put a stop to the avoidance of paying council tax.
“Enough is enough. Too many local families are being priced out while homes sit empty or churned through weekly rentals. This Bill is about restoring fairness in our system and giving local people a better chance at owning their own home.
“I formally presented the Bill to the House of Commons – on behalf of each and every one of my constituents who is struggling to get onto the housing ladder, and fed up with second home owners dodging council tax.”
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