The government is taking action to identify tenants illegally using their homes for short-term lets

On 8^th July, the government announced a new data sharing partnership between the Cabinet Office’s Public Sector Fraud Authority and Airbnb that will enable councils to match social housing records against short term lets.  Illegal subletting cases will face eviction, fines and up to two years’ imprisonment.  Early trials in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster had already identified around 470 potential fraud cases.  Other platforms are being encouraged to join so that more of the estimated 5,800 suspected illegally sublet social homes can be recovered for families on waiting lists.