Edinburgh and Highlands have half of Scots Airbnb lets as calls for curbs grow
Almost one in five properties in Skye and one in six in the centre of Edinburgh are listed on Airbnb, with the figures fuelling calls for a clampdown on the short-term let sector in Scotland.
The results of the Scottish Government consultation have strengthened the case for more regulation of the shortterm letting sector, including a licensingregimeandadequate enforcement to improve safety and reduce the impact on the housing market.
More than 1,000 people, businesses and companies took part in the independent report, alongside a bespoke data “scrape” of Airbnb.
Those responding to the consultation said shortterm lets were “feeding the beast” and making survival as businesses “extremely challenging”.
The number of Airbnbs in Scotland has tripled in less than three years from just over 10,000 to more than 32,000, the government figures show.
But more than half are in just twocouncilareas–edinburgh and Highland.
The city centre of Edinburgh has the densest concentration of Airbnbs in Scotland, with 8.5 per cent.
Figures also show almost one in five houses on Skye are listed on Airbnb, compared with the 1.2 per cent average across Scotland.
Short-term lets have been criticised by opponents for removing housing from the overall stock, with the survey showing 36 per cent of Airbnb hosts that responded used to either live in or rent out their holiday lets.
The report also states a quarter of all Airbnbs were bought by hosts specifically to let them out as holiday lets on an ongoing basis.
In addition, more than 80 per cent of hosts said they let their homes for more than three months a year, a claim Airbnb has denied in the past.
Alongside the impact on housing and residents, the report also highlighted negative impacts on affordability, communities and public services as well as over-tourism. However, local economic benefits from visitors and increased household income for short-term let hosts were listed as the two main positive impacts.
In both Skye and Edinburgh, the impacts are not limited to hosts and residents.
One respondent, a business from Skye, said: “Some local workers just cannot find accommodation, but despite it all we are still working through and still able to deliver the service, but it has been exceptionally challenging.”
One community respondee in Edinburgh said: “By March it is difficult to walk down the street. The council is delighted by this; more tourists, but it’s ‘feeding the beast’.”
Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “The responses to our consultation confirm support for new controls over short-term letting of residential properties in these problem areas.
“We will carefully consider the evidence before setting out our proposals later this year.” An Airbnb spokesman said: “We want to be good partners to Scotland, which is why we recently announced backing for a simple, free and online registration system in communities that need it, extending planning requirements to professional lets hosting over 140 nights per year, and support for a tourism levy for communities that want it.”
“The council is delighted by this; more tourists, but it’s ‘feeding the beast’. Tourismhasbecometoo much. It’s so crowded and expensive”
SURVEY RESPONDENT