Lost in the noise of Andy Burnham’s move into Downing Street, a new initiative is the first of its kind to clampdown on illegal short lets. 

People illegally subletting social housing in Birmingham will be identified and may be removed from the property, following the data-sharing partnership between the Cabinet Office and Airbnb.

Under the programme, the city council will work with Airbnb and listings confirmed as operating without permission will be removed.

Early results have shown that eight potential cases of fraud have been identified across Birmingham.

Fraudsters subletting on Airbnb face punishments ranging from eviction, fines, and up to two years imprisonment.

Airbnb is the first short-term letting platform to partner with the Cabinet Office to help tackle this industry-wide issue.

The agreement allows local authorities to check social housing records against Airbnb listings, identifying properties being exploited by fraudsters and allowing these properties to be returned to families in genuine need.

A Birmingham council spokesperson says: 

“Every property that is fraudulently sublet in Birmingham deprives a family in genuine need of a safe place to live.

“We recovered 36 properties over the last year that were fraudulently sublet, and this agreement will allow us to continue to identify potential tenancy fraud and free homes for families on waiting lists faster.”

The government announced the new data-sharing partnership on July 8.