Devon MPs respond to Government Plans aimed at easing Housing Problems

The last decades saw a lot of changes on how houses are being used. Before the arrival of Airbnb, they were mostly filled with families, or served as a secondary house. But now, many of the flats found in the UK are being used as short-term holiday lets, which creates a major issue to families and individuals looking for a place to stay long-term. While the UK Government offered a plan to solve the situation, it has not convinced all MPs in Devon.

Devon Home Owners invest in their Houses

While the various level of governments try to find solutions to the lack of homes available to rent long-term, home owners in Devon are making sure that theirs remain in great shape, whether it is for their own enjoyment or to rent them as short-times lets, at a higher price. Renovations that help save on the energy bill have been going strong over the last few years, but they are often accompanied by small details that matter, such as adding a flat roof window to increase the amount of natural light that comes inside the house. For now, those that have turned their property into a tourist rental location are not inclined to change their decision, as they wait to see what the new rules will be like.

Government launched a Consultation Phase on How to ease Housing Problems

Ministers of the government have come up with the idea that homeowners would have to ask for permission, before they could convert their new building into short-term holiday lets. This is part of their plan to solve the housing problem existing in the UK. Devon MPs were asked about their position on the subject, in regards to locations which welcomes lots of tourists annually. The response was different from one to the other.

Two Conservative MPs (Simon Jupp and Anthony Mangnall) agreed that this proposal would certainly help in finding a better balance between long-term rentals and shorter ones aimed at tourists. However, the first one was not convinced that it was sufficient in itself, saying that new measures which would be applied all year around would be necessary in order to recreate a full city, not just in summer time, in this period of high demand.

The problem, according to Selaine Saxby, North Devon Conservative MP, is that although new buildings need to be though of for families in the first place, there are still necessary measures to be put in place. Ones that would use the houses and flats that are currently empty because their owners refuse to rent them long-term.