Mayoral candidates clash on short-term lets regulations

Candidates to be the next West of England Metro Mayor clashed over the idea of a tourist tax at a hustings on housing issues in Bath.

- John Wimperis Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

Voters across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire will be voting for the next Metro Mayor to head the West of England Combined Authority next Thursday (May 1).

At the hustings on housing issues, both Liberal Democrat candidate Oli Henman and Green candidate Mary Page suggested some form of regulation of short-term lets - but disagreed on how far it should go.

Mr Henman said: "Many houses have been taken out of rent because they are being made into AirBnBs and short-term lets. That's taking away from our housing stock in the heart of our city centres."

Ms Page said that 217 homes in Ashley ward in Bristol were now AirBnBs. She said: "I was looking towards [an] AirBnb tax because there's no control over that."

But she said she would not support imposing a similar tax on hotels, as she said the hotel industry was already “squeezed” and taxing it could push more people into AirBnBs and make the problem worse. Mr Henman said: “It's both, I don’t think it's either or.”

He said: “It’s not that this is additional for the hotel. It’s the tourist you are charging through the hotel.”