A property in the Oxford area can no longer be used for short let accommodation due to anti-social behaviour.

The owner of a property on William Street in New Marston has been banned from using the property for short let accommodation after complaints were made by a member of the public due to their experience of anti-social behaviour from the address.

The owner of the property appealed to the planning inspectorate, but Oxford City Council won the case and from Saturday, August 12 the owner must no longer use the property for short let accommodation.

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City councillor and cabinet member Linda Smith said the process of banning the owner from letting out the accommodation was “lengthy”, and she said the dismissal of the appeal had proven that “the current system is not fit for purpose”.

She said: “We live in one of the least affordable places for housing in the UK.

"There are nearly 800 properties let out entirely as short lets in Oxford and we need those for people to live in and not as holiday accommodation.

“At the same time, antisocial and illegal behaviour by people using short lets causes misery in our communities.”

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The city council has repeatedly called for a mandatory registration licensing scheme for whole house short lets which would be run and enforced by councils.

A mandatory registration system would ensure owners meet minimum safety standards and this would make investigating complaints significantly easier.

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Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times. 

He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.

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