Aug

Poacher turned gamekeeper? Airbnb helps spot fraudulently rented social housing

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Airbnb has started sharing payment data with Kensington and Chelsea Council in a bid to crack down on illegal short-term lets.

The lettings platform was given the go-ahead by the courts to share information as part of a new collaboration with the authority to tackle the problem of fraudulently let social housing. Any evidence it finds can be used in future legal action and will identify those social housing properties being potentially listed as holiday and short-term lets.

Theo Lomas, head of government relations for Northern Europe at Airbnb, says the initiative highlights the need for a more regulated sector.

Illegal

“Hosting in subsidised or social housing in the UK is illegal and has no place on Airbnb,” he says, “however the current situation is complex and costly, and requires a court order to avoid breaking GDPR rules.”

Adds Lomas: “This is yet another example of the need for the UK to update its rules and introduce a single registration system, so authorities have the information they need to tackle bad actors and return housing to those in need.”

The order, a first for Kensington and Chelsea, applies to two estates in North Kensington, but Airbnb and the council are working together to stamp out illegal sub-letting activity in social housing across the borough.

Councillor Kim-Taylor Smith (pictured), lead member for housing, says there’s huge demand for social housing in the borough.

“It’s simply not fair that people in genuine need are being denied a place to call home because others are illegally subletting their council properties to make money.”

He adds: “Tenancy fraud is not a victimless crime. It costs the public purse an average of £42,000 a year for each home and this welcome collaboration with Airbnb will help us to clamp down on it in our borough.”

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