Airbnb has become so prevalent in Great Britain that some parts of the country now have one listing for every four properties, prompting concern that the rapid expansion in short-term lets is “out of control” and depriving communities of much-needed homes.
Exclusive analysis by the Guardian identified Airbnb hotspots in both rural areas and inner-city neighbourhoods, where the ratio of active Airbnb listings to homes was more than 20 times higher than the average across England, Scotland and Wales.
The highest incidence of Airbnbs was in Edinburgh Old Town, where there were 29 active listings for every 100 properties.
The north-west of Skye had the second-highest concentration, at 25 listings per 100 properties, including a seafront bothy (£50 a night), a modern cottage clad in corrugated tin (£190) and an isolated cottage with ocean and mountain views (£160).
In England, the area with the highest rate of Airbnb lets was Woolacombe, Georgeham and Croyde, in Devon, with 23 listings for every 100 properties.
In one area of the Lake District: Windermere North, Ambleside and Langdales, there were 19 listings per 100 properties. Local MP Tim Farron described the growth of Airbnb in an area already dominated by second home owners as “a really disturbing issue”.
Airbnb questioned the accuracy of the findings, emphasising that unusual listings such as caravans or large manor houses, used for events, may not affect the local housing stock. It said some listings may be booked for only a few nights a year.
But others warned that the growth of Airbnb played to wider concerns about the effect of short-term lets. “The unchecked growth of online holiday lettings is depriving communities of much-needed homes,” said Dan Wilson Craw, the director of housing pressure group Generation Rent. “In rural areas and cities alike, the story is the same: young adults can’t afford to settle down in the areas they grew up in.”
In 2014 30% of homes in some parts of the Lake District national park were classed as second homes. In Chapel Stile, a picturesque village in the Langdales, research from the local school found 70% of houses were not regularly occupied.
Six years on, a two-bed terrace in the village now sells for £325,000, way out of the reach of working locals, who earn on average just £345 a week. Such properties are now listed for £130 or more a night on Airbnb – much more during the peak tourism season.