Airbnb and Booking.com allowing illegal social housing sublets, say English councils

Residents in a London block owned by the housing association Notting Hill Genesis claim that successions of guests arriving at one illegal sublet cause regular disturbances. Photograph: Alexey_Fedoren/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Airbnb and Booking.com have been accused of facilitating fraud by refusing to take action against social housing tenants who illegally sublet properties to holidaymakers.

Local authorities and social housing providers claim the platforms are refusing to cooperate with requests to remove illegally listed holiday lets and, as a result, are depriving homeless families of secure housing.