THE city is continuing its fight for regulation of short-term holiday lets after reports some were being used as ‘pop-up brothels’.

Oxford City Council has called for more powers to control short-term rentals, as offered on sites such as Air Bnb and Gumtree, after their expansion in the city in recent years.

Former leader Bob Price urged the city’s two MPs to support more powers and take the issues to ministers in Parliament.

The regulation could see short-term rentals given a separate planning class and requiring planning permission, with neighbours able to object.

It could also mean properties being licensed and registered in line with hotels and guesthouses.

Premises could also be treated as commercial rather than residential in some cases, with owners having to pay for commercial waste and refuse services.

Mr Price said: “The council is concerned with the growing reports of problems in this sector, and in particular notes that the very serious issues reported in other cities are now starting to be reported here.

“There have been documented instances of pop-up brothels and evidence of both single properties and groups of properties being used as de facto guest houses.

“They don’t need to comply with the same regulations as standard guest houses when it comes to fire risk, environmental health or safeguarding against child sexual exploitation.”

He added: “This council believes that it is essential that the short-term let sector is regulated, both to protect neighbours and also to prevent unfair competition undermining landlords, hotels and guest houses that do comply with regulations that set safe standards to their properties.”

The former council leader added that he was concerned ‘pay parties’, where a house is effectively used as a commercial nightclub without the landlord’s consent, could soon come to Oxford.

In December last year, US city Seattle approved a raft of regulations that included hosts requiring a special ‘platform licence’ before renting out their properties.

IIn London, if properties are rented out for more then 90 days a year they require a change of use planning permission and as of January 2017 Air BnB limited its hosts to 90 days each year.

Earlier this year Oxford sex worker Charlotte Rose told the BBC she used Air BnB to entertain clients.

The company did not to respond to a request for comment but has previously told the Oxford Mail: “We have zero tolerance for this type of behaviour and permanently remove bad actors. 

Over 260million people have travelled on Air BnB and bad experiences are extremely rare.”

The Short Term Accommodation Association, which supports the industry, was approached for comment.