Short Sadiq & Silly Lets - Sorry, wrong way around perhaps?
Monday 20th June 2022
Having the totally ineffectual Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London makes me yearn for the jolly japes of days gone by, when a certain Boris Johnson was our mayor. He was OK in that role.
Mr Khan is currently consulting Londoners on their views about short-letting in the capital, seemingly to inform his position in an upcoming Government review of the topic.
Let me put some points to him -
1. There is supposedly a shortage of properties in London
2. Demand for all rental properties is strong and resurging post-Corona Chaos
3. As a consequence, rents in London are very high
4. Income from short-letting is even higher
5. Naturally, many landlords seek the higher income
6. Properties being short-let cannot be used for normal long-lets
7. This exacerbates the shortage for ordinary Londoners
8. The same applies in Cornwall!
9. Most London councils prohibit short letting for more than 90 days
10. Most councils don’t enforce their own rules
11. Landlords know this
12. Criminal gangs run ‘rent to sub-let’ rackets
13. They supply drugs, fast cars and prostitutes too
14. Pre-Corona Knightsbridge was an anarchic mess
15. The Met Police do nothing- under your charge Sadiq
16. The councils do nothing
17. Ordinary Londoners suffer noise and nuisance
18. Still the Met Police and councils do nothing
19. There is a constant shortage of normal rental properties
20. Rents are high
21. Hotels lose trade
PB has a simple solution for Sadiq. Or is that a solution for simple Sadiq?
1. Get the Met Police and Councils to enforce the rules and laws that already exist
And this is the good one-
2. Insurers’ buildings insurance policies require that the buildings they insure be run within the law, plus in line with local authority requirements and the leases. If not their cover may be withdrawn or vitiated
Short letting properties for more than 90 days in a year, clearly breaches the local authority rules. Sadiq should push insurers to remove insurance cover from those buildings which do not fully comply with the rules.
Until next time,
PB
Share this article
k L E D