Councillor Jonathan Simpson MBE

A TWO-TIME former Mayor of Camden has called for a possible full ban on Airbnb-style short lets, warning that neighbourhoods are being ruined by housing used like hotels.

While not all of his Labour colleagues are taking the same hard-line approach, long-serving councillor Jonathan Simpson suggested Camden should consider following the lead of Barcelona by moving to eliminate the system completely.

The sunshine Spanish city, teeming with visitors from all over the world every year, has set in train policies to block short lets by the end of 2028.

Cllr Simpson made his feelings known at Monday’s full council meeting as he warned how the nature of neighbourhoods such as his ward of King’s Cross was changing with the ever-increasing popularity of Airbnb and similar sites.

He said: “Short lets must not further diminish our already stretched housing supply and undermine community stability.”

Tourists can sidestep expensive hotels by using services like Airbnb to book rooms or entire flats and houses from private property owners.

For some landlords in central London this has proved more lucrative and less complicated than getting tenants in the long-term private rental market.

But neighbours often complain that short-stayers have less interest in keeping the noise down if they are away on holiday, and play no part in community life.

The rules say people in Camden can only rent out a flat for 90 nights every year, but there are concerns about whether this can be adequately monitored.

Cllr Simpson said: “If you walk down many streets in my ward, you will notice hundreds of drop boxes for keys which are very clearly being used for short lets, often exceeding the 90-day limit, reducing availability for long-term renters and in some cases contributing to anti-social behaviour and disturbances for permanent residents.

“Homes are not hotels and shouldn’t be. I think there are calls throughout the country to balance short-term lets. The tourism levy is just being debated and how it will be set, so I certainly would welcome greater funding for enforcement. We have to do it off our own bat.

“I also welcome discussion of a licensing scheme but if all this doesn’t work, we should follow the route of the Mayor of Barcelona and phase out short-term lets.”

The council leadership, similar to how it treats the Lime hire bike service, are wary of cancelling a service which some people value, such as those with a spare room who occasionally make useful extra money.

This was Airbnb’s more humble beginning back in 2007 – two roommates in the United States began it by renting out an airbed, hence its name.

More professional operators eyeing profits from a global marketplace have since jumped on board.

Councillors who have used Airbnbs themselves on holidays and during conference season are also treading a fine line to avoid any claims of hypocrisy.

Camden’s housing chief Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali said the council was not moving to an outright ban, but work was needed on regulation.

She said the council estimates 6,000 properties in the borough had been “lost to short lets”, adding: “That’s [partly] fuelling the housing crisis.”

“As well as Barcelona, there’s a number of different schemes – one in Glasgow and one in France, and so I think it will be an opportunity for a policy discussion on what’s best for Camden,” Cllr Abdi-Wali told Monday’s meeting, adding that she welcomed new taxes to make short lettings less attractive to landlords who could otherwise be providing homes to rent.

She said there was already a ban on any council homes being used for Airbnb sub-letting.

A New Journal investigation as long ago as 2015 revealed how the rules on not using desperately needed social housing for this purpose were being flouted.

Asked if he really meant it should be stopped in its entirety, Cllr Simpson said that he did if companies could not show that they were dealing with problems.