Holiday and Other Short-Term Lets on The Chocolate Works

Properties on The Chocolate Works are unlikely to be suitable for holiday or other short-term letting arrangements due to the restrictions contained within the TP1 transfers (for freehold houses) and the Lease agreements (for leasehold apartments).

For freehold houses, the TP1 states:

“Not to use the property or permit it to be used for the carrying on of any trade business profession or manufacture other than office work at home which is not inconsistent with residential occupation or for any purpose other than as a single private dwelling in the occupation of one family only.”

For leasehold apartments, the Lease states:

“Not to use the Property for any purpose other than for the Permitted Use and not to carry on any trade or business at the Property.”

In addition, apartment subletting is generally restricted to a minimum term of six months.

While enforcement of restrictive covenants through the courts can potentially be time-consuming and costly, in practice there are often more straightforward mechanisms available.

Short-term letting arrangements typically rely on online platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com to advertise and manage bookings. These platforms normally require hosts to confirm that they have the legal right to let the property and that doing so does not breach leasehold or contractual restrictions.

Where a listing appears to breach the covenants applicable at The Chocolate Works, it may be open to residents, the management company, or other interested parties to report the matter directly to the relevant platform, supported by the applicable covenant wording. Platforms will generally investigate such reports and may suspend or remove listings where concerns are substantiated.

In addition, under the Finance Act and associated regulations, digital platforms are now required to report certain host income information to HMRC. While this does not itself prohibit short-term letting, it reinforces the position that such activity is commonly regarded as a commercial enterprise and subject to regulatory oversight.

In practical terms, this means that where apparent breaches arise, there may be relatively simple and effective steps available without immediately resorting to formal legal proceedings.

Anyone seeking to operate a holiday or short-term let at The Chocolate Works should therefore ensure they fully understand the restrictions affecting their property before doing so.

Although there are no practical mechanisms available to prevent attempts at short-term letting altogether, any such activity would likely become apparent relatively quickly and could potentially be challenged through a number of available routes.