New short-lets charter to tackle noise and litter created by holiday makers

North Devon Council has launched a best practice charter to tackle problems caused by the rapid growth of short-term lets in the county.

In partnership with the UK Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), which hopes the initiative will soon go national, it’s a set of guiding principles for property owners, managing agents or hosts.

This includes the need to provide a clear code of conduct for guests, to provide neighbours with a 24/7 contact number to use if they’re bothered by noisy parties, and to ensure rubbish gets dealt with properly.

Last year it was reported that North Devon, which covers holiday hotspots such as Clovelly (pictured) has seen a staggering 70% drop in private rented properties over the last two years as landlords have swapped to short-term holiday rentals. 

Illegal activities

The council believes that by addressing the main issues that affect neighbours such as poor waste management, excessive noise, and reduced sense of community from a high turnover of guests, the charter will encourage positive contributions to the economies and communities of the district and help prevent any anti-social or illegal activities associated with holiday lets.

STAA chair Merilee Karr (pictured) says: “It shows that the vast majority of our industry that we represent is continually improving how we work in partnership with local councils and communities while creating long-term value for local restaurants and shops and providing much-needed jobs in local areas and extra income to property owners during the cost-of-living crisis.

“We would love to talk to other councils about replicating this charter across the UK.”

The government is currently consulting on how short-term holiday lets impact housing supply across cities and coastal resorts across England.