Newham Mag issue 241 (pdf)

Lets make the Olympics
work for us all
If you own a property in Newham, you might be excited about the Games for
reasons that have nothing to do with sport. With talk in the press of the large
sums to be made, letting property to visitors is a tempting prospect.
But if you are planning to let property,
you must be aware of the law on
short-term lettings.
Planning permission will not normally
be required for householders taking in
up to two lodgers and remaining in the
home themselves.
However, letting your property for
a short amount of time, ie fewer than
90 days, means you need to apply
to change its use from residential to
‘temporary sleeping accommodation’.
You must do this by the end of May.
The council is unlikely to grant
permission if we have reason to believe
that visitors will be staying longer than
the duration of the Games, but each
application will be considered on its
individual planning merits.
The council has been receiving
complaints from residents that
landlords are planning to unlawfully
end tenancies before the Games or are
offering illegal short-term contracts, in
order to profi t from higher rents during
that period.
The council will be enforcing the
law to prevent this. Our priority is
protecting our existing residents
and communities, so if we do grant
permission, it will be very tightly
regulated. We can, for example,
consider asking applicants to pay for
an inspection after the Games to make
sure the property has gone back to its
original, long-term residential use.
If we discover any property being
used as a short-term let without
permission, we will take legal action,
which may result in a fi ne.
Find out more about what
planning permission is needed
and how to apply by calling
020 3373 8300 or visiting
www.newham.gov.uk/planning
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