Airbnb has this morning introduced stricter conditions for new bookings after an investigation revealed hosts offering Easter holiday stays.

In a move likely to be welcomed by communities across Kent, the tech giant has announced that from today new bookings will only be possible for "key workers and other essential stays".

The new rules will be in force until Saturday, April 18 at the earliest. Their introduction follows our report which revealed hosts were still prepared to rent their properties to holidaymakers considering a trip to the county for the four-day Easter weekend.

However it remains unclear how the San Francisco-based firm will filter bookings, or how it intends to define "essential stays".

With temperatures in Kent predicted to reach 23C this weekend, there are fears of a repeat of scenes last month which saw daytrippers descend on our country's coastal hotspots.

People in Whitstable reacted with fury when visitors flocked to the town as the mercury began rising - showing apparent disregard for the government's social distancing guidelines introduced to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Tankerton councillor Neil Baker has welcomed the decision by Airbnb to tackle the issue of non-essential travel, but he insisted responsibility for maintaining the rules in place to fight the virus rested with everyone.

"This is a positive move and I hope Airbnb does all in their power to prevent properties being used for holiday purposes," he said.

"However, it only goes so far and the ultimate responsibility lies with the owners of these properties. I urge those who let rooms, flats and houses to holidaymakers through other methods to cease immediately.

"For the sake of some cash now, these holiday let owners risk becoming pariahs for years going forward. Neighbours will never forgive them."

Prior to today's new rules, Airbnb had already taken some steps to mitigate the impact of the crisis by blocking listings for shared properties and disallowing adverts seeking to exploit the coronavirus outbreak.

Announcing the further clampdown on non-essential bookings, Patrick Robinson, director of public policy at Airbnb, said: "Hosts across the UK are playing a vital role in housing NHS and other medical staff as they continue their critical work.

"We've also heard from hosts who want to help others follow the rules and keep people safe during these unprecedented times. Restricting bookings on Airbnb to key workers and other essential stays will allow hosts to continue supporting frontline workers while following government guidance."

KentOnline has asked Airbnb to clarify what it classes as "essential stays" and how it plans to determine which bookings fit its new criteria.

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