It’s vital that any new rules strike the right balance between the needs of local communities, Hosts, and guests. One of the biggest challenges policymakers face is the lack of accurate information on how many short-term lets there are, where they are located, how often they are used, and any impact they could be having on housing supply. Any decisions by local authorities to restrict short-term lets should be based on evidence gathered by a new, national registration system.

We believe that the neighbourhoods and communities in which we operate are as important as the Hosts and guests who use our service. That’s why in 2020, we introduced a global party ban. As a result, our industry-leading prevention technology blocked more than 84,000 people in the UK from making certain unwanted bookings in 2021 alone. If any guest is disturbing the peace, our 24/7 Neighbourhood Support Line allows neighbours to raise concerns with our dedicated support team.

Airbnb has been calling for new rules for some time, including publishing our own proposals in 2021. We want to work with communities and believe local authorities should have the tools to tackle housing concerns where short-term lets play a role. To avoid unintended consequences on tourism and hardworking families, it’s essential that any interventions are proportionate and based on accurate data.

Hosts and guests come together in 2,700 cities, villages and towns across the country - and we work with communities to promote travel to areas where it’s needed. That means more jobs in the places that need them - helping local people in communities benefit directly from tourism.