By Michael Kenwood

Copyright belfastlive

Belfast Councillors are warning that communities all over the city could soon face a housing crisis caused by short-term lets, similar to the crisis caused by HMOs in areas such as the Holylands. At the September meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee, held this week, councillors and a council officer made reference to allegations that Tourism NI were certifying properties as short-term lets before they had planning permission, with one councillor stating short term lets were the “wild west” of the housing sector. SDLP Councillor Gary McKeown said at the meeting: “The issues remain outstanding, in terms of a complete absence of appropriate programme of planning and future proofing for short-term lets. As we see in this committee nearly every month, we are dealing with the aftermath of that (absence) with HMOs. READ MORE: Empty Royal Avenue building in prime city spot approved for facelift READ MORE: Belfast Council officials admit they don’t have the money for lighting parks for 24 hour opening “As a result many communities are severely adversely affected from that overproliferation. For various reasons, it takes a very long time for that process to change. “My concerns, that I have iterated a number of times, is that we could very soon face the same thing with regards to short-term lets. I know, particularly in communities close to the city centre, that this is a live issue. “And we know from feedback from community members that a lot of it flies under the radar in the absence of a robust system across agencies, ensuring that there is adequate planning to prevent the over-proliferation of short-term lets in communities.” He said: “This is going to continue to grow, either officially or unofficially, and the result will be one potentially like HMOs in the Holylands and Stranmillis Village, that they will go beyond the point of no return. That will decimate communities that are already hard-pressed because of the price of properties near the City Centre. “It also means people cannot live in the areas where they grew up, they cannot live close to their families, and they cannot enjoy the community they have lived in for years because houses are often being snapped up by investors, or people with no interest whatsoever apart from wanting to make money out of the property.” Short-term let accommodation refers to renting out a property or room for a short period, from one night to a few weeks or months, rather than for a permanent residence. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo list these types of rentals, which offer visitors more choice and a different experience from traditional hotels. Houses of Multiple Occupation, also known as a “house-share” residencies, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour, in places like the Holylands and Stranmillis in South Belfast , where landlords pack houses with undergraduates and others. While the council policy is that HMOs should not account for more than 20 percent of any area of housing management, in reality many streets exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percent. Outside housing policy areas the threshold is 10 percent. Councillor McKeown added: “Short-term lets have a great part to play, but they have to be regulated in such a way that people who do come to this city do so in the confidence that they are subject to the appropriate protocols, whether it is certification from Tourism NI that is done by the book. “Because at the minute it is the wild west, and there are properties out there that are frankly not fit for purpose in terms of providing a short term let. And that is unfair not just to the communities and people that live next door that have to deal with antisocial behaviour, it is also unfair to those people who do it by the book, because they are being held to a different standard, or no standard whatsoever.” He said: “I do have concerns that Tourism NI is issuing certifications for properties which don’t have planning permission. That is crazy. Tourism NI is being held up as some sort of vanguard to protect communities, but we find that actually certification is being issued without planning even being in place. That would suggest it isn’t robust at all. It may mean the individual property is safe, from a certification perspective.” A councillor officer said: “I will be following up with Tourism NI, on the (issue) they are allegedly authorising short-term lets without planning permission. We need a bit more of a conversation around that, in terms of how they get their information from us, and to make sure that isn’t happening. As regards the Tourism NI review that was happening, we haven’t had any outcome from that, but if and when we do, we will bring that back to the committee and report on that.” Green Councillor Brian Smyth said: “I think the onus here is on the respective parties at Stormont and the Executive. Because we cannot be talking about pressures on housing while turning a blind eye to short-term lets. “Look at Barcelona – they are going to ban short-term lets there outright from 2028. That is going to bring 10,000 apartments, homes, back into the public domain. Berlin banned them outright in 2014, then brought them back in 2018, but with heavy restrictions. This is a similar road we are going to have to go down.” He added: “I feel that this council is fighting with one hand behind its back. I am dealing with one right at the minute, off the Ravenhill Road, where a young family is next to a short term let accommodation. It is filled three or four times a week, and the noise is affecting that family’s quality of life. “They have gone to the home owner, but they have got no response. They have had to come to myself, and I am linking in with our antisocial behaviour officers, who are doing a fantastic job. “But it is all well and good for us sitting here, but the respective parties in the Stormont Executive are going to have to pull their finger out.” A spokesperson for Tourism Northern Ireland said: “Tourism NI’s regulatory role is to inspect accommodation offered to visitors to ensure that it meets minimum standards of safety, cleanliness, and the provision of facilities. “Providers of visitor accommodation are advised of the obligation to comply with planning and any other statutory requirements. “Tourism NI has a formal data sharing agreement with Belfast City Council to facilitate the exchange of information regarding the certification of tourist accommodation. This ensures both parties are aware of potential legislative breaches and can progress appropriate enforcement action. “Where Tourism NI becomes aware of properties operating without the necessary planning permission, revocation notices are issued in accordance with our statutory powers.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter