Toby Harman, 37, had been advertising his “cosy studio apartment in Victoria” since 2013

A council tenant has been ordered to pay a record £100,000 for sub-letting his central London flat through Airbnb as councils in the capital struggle to cope with the booming market in short-term online lettings.

Toby Harman, 37, had been advertising his “cosy studio apartment in Victoria” since 2013 with amenities including a hot tub and had had more than 300 reviews.

In an attempt to stem a rise in misuse of council housing, unlicensed parties and rentals to sex workers, Westminster council has called for a new cross-platform registration scheme for short-term lettings.

In recent years there have been repeated concerns raised about online rental companies, such as Airbnb, Booking.com and House Trip being used to set up “pop-up brothels”, as well as luxury