Following Nickie Aiken's visit with the Grosvenor & Regency Residents’ Association, she met with Social Care Minister, Helen Whatley MP, to discuss one of the ideas the Association had discussed with her.
The idea regards the key boxes outside residential buildings.
These used to be predominantly for care professionals who needed to access a flat when visiting an elderly or unwell person to help with their everyday care. In places like the Two Cities, they have now become popular with short-term letting landlords who rent out their properties on AirBnB and other similar websites.
If we were able to distinguish between a social care key box and a short-term let’s one we could have the latter taken away if such lettings were banned in the building.
The Minister was very open to the idea. Nickie is going to now take up the discussions with the Local Government Minister, Lee Rowley MP, as if it is to work it will need to have the backing of local authorities.