How UK Short-Term Rentals Gained Government Trust Through Advocacy and Professional Standards

In 2024, the UK short-term rental industry saw a shift: a new national register, new planning requirements, and growing pressure to prove it could be trusted. For many operators, this marked a turning point. 

But thanks to leaders like Merilee Karr, CEO of London-based UnderTheDoormat Group and as Co-founder and former Chair of the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), the industry had already laid the groundwork for collaboration by stepping up during the COVID crisis, building shared standards, and creating TrustedStays, a portal that gave STRs direct access to government contracts.

In our recent webinar on short-term rental advocacy, Merilee joined fellow speakers from Portugal and the U.S. to share how credibility, coordination, and timing helped the UK sector gain ground on regulation.

What the UK Regulatory Environment Looks Like Today

The UK’s regulatory environment is relatively stable compared to other markets, but 2024 marked a shift toward formal oversight. New national policies introduced:

• A mandatory registration system for all STRs
• Planning permission requirements for properties rented for more than 90 nights per year
• “Grandfathering” allowances for existing STRs to ease the transition

Rather than facing outright bans, the UK STR sector has wrestled with a credibility gap. The challenge has been convincing both the public and government that vacation rentals are a professional, essential part of the hospitality landscape.

What emerged in the webinar is that advocacy in the UK is less about resistance, more about participation. Operators like Merilee, and associations like STAA, helped the industry show up early, communicate clearly, and shape new policies from the inside.

​​The Turning Point: STRs Showed Up During COVID

The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were a crisis for the short-term rental industry, but also a moment of transformation.

Hotels were quickly contracted by the UK government to provide housing for the NHS and key workers. Short-term rentals, despite their inventory and flexibility, were excluded from these efforts. The reason? A lack of coordination, standardized operations, and formal channels for engagement.

Rather than accept this exclusion, STR professionals, including Merilee Karr, responded by stepping up.

Many operators across the country offered free or heavily discounted accommodation to healthcare workers. This showed policymakers that the STR industry could mobilize, act responsibly, and provide real value in moments of national need.

This period of civic action laid the groundwork for a shift in how STRs were perceived. From fragmented and informal, the industry began to be seen as professional, responsive, and worth engaging with.

That shift is what opened the door for initiatives like TrustedStays, which took the momentum one step further and gave the UK government a practical, scalable way to work with professional STR operators.

The Launch of TrustedStays

The solution was TrustedStays, a centralized, accredited platform that integrated STRs into the Global Distribution System (GDS) used by governments and corporates to book hotels.
With this, STRs became bookable for government use, healthcare workers, and corporate stays, on par with hotels in terms of safety, standards, and visibility.

The UK government helped fund the initiative. The outcome? STR operators not only gained a new revenue stream but also softened perceptions among decision-makers. It demonstrated, in Merilee’s words, that the industry could operate with integrity, professionalism, and social value.

Lessons in Credibility and Pro Standards

TrustedStays was more than just a tech platform; it became a symbol of what the STR industry could achieve when organized. It addressed the biggest credibility gap: how to prove you’re serious and safe at scale.

It also catalyzed broader professionalization:

• Standardized cleaning protocols
• Guest communication policies
• Data sharing practices

These shifts laid the groundwork for including STRs in future regulation discussions, rather than reacting to them after the fact.

Merilee emphasizes that advocacy begins with education. She and her team took the time to explain to government officials what the short-term rental industry truly is, highlighting how it supports local economies, creates jobs, and drives tourism revenue. Only then did policymakers understand the significance of these contributions and begin to recognize the value of short-term rentals in their communities.

Takeaways for Property Managers Everywhere

1. You Need a Seat at the Table

If the government doesn’t know who to talk to, they won’t engage. For property managers, joining or forming associations and speaking with one voice is essential.

2. Professionalization is Not Optional

Whether it’s data reporting, guest screening, or insurance, showing regulators that you operate to professional standards is essential.

3. Build in Public, With the Public

By offering housing to NHS workers, the STR sector in the UK earned goodwill that no press release could buy. This kind of civic engagement can humanize the industry and win over skeptical stakeholders.

4. Start with Awareness

Take the time to explain how your business works, who is involved, and how your operations contribute to the local economy. This helps shift perceptions, build trust, and pave the way for fairer regulations. Advocacy starts with awareness.

A Unified Voice: UK Trade Associations Team Up

In 2025, three of the UK’s leading associations, ASAP (urban serviced apartments), PASC UK (self-catering in England and Wales), and ASSC (Scotland’s holiday lets), formed a strategic alliance to coordinate advocacy efforts.

They will collaborate on planning, fire safety, rental reform, and licensing. The alliance underscores a key principle Merilee emphasized: fragmented voices lead to missed opportunities. Unified ones open doors.

Stay Connected with Merilee Karr

Want to follow her work or connect about STR advocacy in the UK?

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn

You can also read the full webinar takeaways article for more insights from the other speakers, from Portugal and the US, to see how property managers around the world are successfully responding to regulations.