Rents worth millions
ENTERPRISING homeowners in Glasgow are raking in more than £12m from Airbnb rentals.
Around 2,700 homes in the city are listed on the short term let site.
The deals are estimated to be worth almost t£58m to the city economy according to a new survey.
SHORT-TERM lets boosted Glasgow’s economy by £57.9 million last year, despite being opposed by many residents.
The city welcomed more than 160,000 guests at various Airbnb locations, including on Byres Road, the Merchant City and a converted church in the south side.
Around 2,700 active listings are on the home rental site, which are booked out for on average 66 days of the year.
Home owners lucky enough to have the spare room have made £12.7 million combined by opening their doors, with each typical host earning £4,100 a year.
Coming just behind Edinburgh, Glasgow is the second most popular location in Scotland for tourists and visitors.
However, the short term lets industry has come under criticism for pushing up rents for residents seeking affordable long-term accommodation and adding to problems to do with anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.
Craig Paterson, spokesman for Living Rent Glasgow, said: “The current housing crisis is only being worsened by profiteering landlords exploiting the short term let market.
“By chasing short term profits with exuberant rents through companies like Airbnb they are cutting off vital housing supply in an already precarious market.
“The Scottish Government and council’s need to take action to stop landlords ripping accommodation out of communities by converting flats into short-term lets.”
Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council have called for better regulation of the of the short-term let industry to “ensure that operators who behave in an inconsiderate manner of permanent residences may have enforcement action taken against them”.
A spokesman for the group said: “Airbnb flats often have a rotating party immediately adjacent to a permanent family home, with no one to whom residents can write to or speak to regarding the behaviour.
“Often, those letting out the property may not even speak to the proposed guests directly, worse, the landlord may not care that it is in constant use for parties.
“Responsibility must lay with operators of Airbnb to ensure their leased property is operated ethically and considerately, and if they are not able to do that, the local authority must regulate and enforce against them.
“Unlike the normal ved and breakfasts, they place those in Glasgow for a visit right next to those who live here permanently.”