Airbnb and Booking.com allowing illegal social housing sublets, say English councils
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/26/airbnb-and-bookingcom-allowing-social-housing-sublets-say-english-councils
Posted by kassiusx
Airbnb and Booking.com allowing illegal social housing sublets, say English councils
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/26/airbnb-and-bookingcom-allowing-social-housing-sublets-say-english-councils
Posted by kassiusx
6 Comments
I’m shocked that AirBnB would be ignoring local laws in favour of making a profit.
It’s not like they have been doing that since launch or anything.
Also, if the councils find a social house on AirBnB, rent it for a night, send a council worker, and then immediately evict the “tenants” for breach of contract.
Shouldn’t be too hard.
People renting out their council houses is a pretty common thing, but it’s surprising to see it being done so openly. Most cases I’ve heard/seen, it’s usually done under the table.
So scan Airbnb for your social housing and kick the people who have the rent out when you find it? Seems to make the councils job easier to me.
I don’t understand why they just don’t kick out the tennant abusing the system. Apparently subletting specifically public housing is a criminal offence.
Encourage other tenants to report suspected air BnB places and investigate and kick them out too.
I mean the contract is between the council and tenant. If they breach that contract by subletting then kick them out.
So, to clarify:
The council provide social housing to people in need.
Some of those people are letting those properties out on Airbnb and [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) despite it being illegal.
Airbnb and [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) have no way to verify which properties are restricted from letting because they’re social housing.
The council are aware that it’s happening and know which properties are on there.
The council are responding to this by blaming Airbnb and [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) and expecting them to remove the bookings.
The council are not responding to this by taking any action against the tenants.
Yeah, no, this isn’t Airbnb or [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) who are at fault. It’s primarily the fraudulent tenants at fault and, after that, it’s the council’s fault for not doing anything about it once they know it’s happening.
Even if Airbnb and [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) took the advert down, they’d advertise it somewhere else. If they’re letting it out then they’re not living it in. Kick them out and prosecute them.