£80k STUDY INTO EFFECTS OF AIRBNB AND HOLIDAY LETS

A COUNCIL plans to carry out an £80,000 study into the impact of holiday lets and Airbnb.

The report that will be presented to Gwynedd Council’s cabinet will also recommend researching the benefits and drawbacks of such holiday lets and if current planning laws and enforcement should be tightened.

The issue of holiday homes has long been a cause of concern for many communities, with the authority lobbying the Welsh Government to intervene following reports that many holiday home owners are switching to business rates in a bid to avoid paying council tax.

Officers in Gwynedd, which has more second homes than any other county in Wales, believe the cash-strapped council is missing out on £2m a year in potential revenue as owners of such properties seek to avoid paying the 50% council tax premium.

But the new study will seek to identify the current situation in regards to shorter-term holiday lets which, like holiday homes, do not require planning permission to be changed from everyday residential use.

Short-term letting website Airbnb currently has 1,603 properties currently advertised across Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd, which makes up the bulk of the county’s self-catering offering.

However, the cabinet papers also refer to regulations that have been introduced in other countries to try and control their operation.

According to the report, concerns stemming from the growing number of holiday lets include their impact on the supply of houses available to meet local need and the subsequent knock-on effect on house prices and amenities.

The study will also delve further into their impact on the local community, the Welsh language and existing safety standards within these holiday lets.

If approved this week, officers will tender out the work thanks to a £80,000 budget.

The cabinet member for the environment conceded that there have been concerns within the county “for some time,” with more than half a million people having stayed in Airbnb properties in Wales last year alone.