The UK Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), the trade association representing the thousands of owners and businesses operating in the short term rental sector, has welcomed the Government’s plans to introduce a registration scheme for short-term holiday lets. 

The STAA has been advocating for a national registration scheme to collect data on holiday rentals to support accurate reporting and policy decisions. This registration scheme is the culmination of months of work between the STAA team and the Government. The STAA was clear from the start that, in order to be successful, the scheme should be simple for owners to register with, straightforward for authorities to administer and low cost to run. 

A report published last week by Oxford Economics, found that short-term holiday lets benefit communities across the UK driving spending to the tune of £27.7bn in 2021, providing around half a million jobs and supporting local businesses. It also found that 56% of visitor spend goes directly to hosts, helping hard-working families deal with the cost-of-living crisis. 

Andy Fenner, CEO of the STAA, said: “Holiday lets represent a tiny proportion of the total housing market yet provide vital flexible jobs and investment in our communities.”