Property owners in London are finding ways to circumvent regulations designed to protect housing availability, raising concerns about the impact on residents searching for a permanent home.
Recent analysis reveals that numerous hosts on short-term rental platforms are using a simple but effective workaround to bypass city restrictions. In London, property owners are allowed to rent their homes to visitors for up to 90 days annually without requiring special permissions—a policy intended to let residents earn supplemental income while maintaining housing stock for permanent residents.
However, investigative research using image-matching technology uncovered approximately 1,300 property advertisements that recycled identical photographs across what appeared to be separate listings. By analysing 37,000 advertisements in a single day, researchers identified a pattern suggesting hosts were creating multiple advertisements for the same property. When one listing reaches the 90-day threshold, they simply switched to another, effectively renting year-round.
This practice directly undermines housing availability in a city already facing affordability challenges. Young professionals and others seeking permanent accommodation struggle to find reasonably priced options within commuting distance of their workplaces, with some attributing rising costs partly to reduced housing supply.
Local authorities are taking notice. Westminster officials are currently examining roughly 2,700 properties for potential violations, with one council leader describing the situation as undermining the entire regulatory framework. Councils typically address violations through enforcement notices, with criminal penalties possible for non-compliance.
AirBnB, the platform at the centre of these concerns, says that it uses automated systems to prevent properties from exceeding the 90-day limit and claims to cooperate with authorities when violations occur. Representatives emphasise that short-term rentals represent only a small portion of London’s overall housing and contribute significantly to the local economy through tourism.
At the moment, London stands alone in the UK with this specific restriction, although other regions are considering the implementation of their own controls. Scotland now requires licensing for such operations, with Wales developing similar requirements. Northern Ireland already mandates tourism certification for anyone providing visitor accommodation.
The government is working on a registration system for short-term rentals across England, which industry representatives have welcomed as a way to establish clearer standards and facilitate enforcement against problematic practices.
The tension between property owners seeking income flexibility and communities protecting housing access reflects a challenge facing cities worldwide. A number of international cities have already implemented restrictions, ranging from licensing requirements to outright prohibitions on tourist rentals.