MPs could recommend a registration system for all types of visitor accommodation as a way of tackling the impact of sharing economy providers such as Airbnb.
The Tourism All Party Parliamentary Group of MPs has issued an interim report for its inquiry into the sharing economy which states that all providers “should compete on a level playing field”.
Labour MP Gordon Marsden, chair of the group, said: “We have endeavoured to look at the evidence we received, guided by the overriding principle that there should be a level playing field in standards for both traditional models and the distribution innovations of the sharing economy.
“We have therefore endeavoured to look strongly at the issues of accommodation safety and legal protections, as well as at the grey areas of responsibility between platforms such as Airbnb and others, and the hosts to visitors.
“We have also touched on the potential for a registration scheme which we have heard advocated, as well as the impact on those affected as neighbours to properties participating in the sharing economy.”
MPs said there was an “urgent need to independently clarify and codify” the security assurances being offered by sharing economy platforms.
The group also received “strong arguments” for a “soft touch” statutory online registration scheme for all visitor accommodation, which the MPs will “consider further”.
Final recommendations from the group are set to released later this spring.