A Green councillor is calling for action to tackle short-term holiday lets and the way they push up rents and dent the number of available homes.
Councillor Ellen McLeay plans to propose a motion on the subject at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday.
She is calling for a report on how the council can use its planning powers to control short-term holiday lets, sometimes generically referred to as Airbnbs.
She wants the council to use an “article 4 direction” as it has done to control the spread of shared houses, also known as houses in multiple occupation or HMOs.
Cllr McLeay wants a report to the council’s cabinet outlining what can be done.
She also wants it to identify suitable areas of Brighton and Hove for the stricter regime, with details about enforcement if people do not seek proper permission for short-term lets.
She plans to ask council leader Bella Sankey to write to the government asking for councils to have the power to regulate short-term lets and ensure any loopholes are closed.
The motion is due to be seconded by fellow Green councillor Chloe Goldsmith. She said short-term holiday lets took properties out of the rental market which had a negative effect on housing supply and drove up rents.
She said: “As a renter myself and councillor for a ward with a high proportion of renters, I understand that this is just one of many problems with the housing market in our city but it’s one which we need to tackle as soon as possible.
“The outgoing Tory government never fulfilled its promise to give councils the powers to regulate short-term lets.
“But I hope this Labour government will and the council should begin the initial work now to ensure we are ready to implement these regulations as soon as possible.”
The full council is due to meet at Hove Town Hall on Thursday at 4.30pm.
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