A Look at Airbnbs and Their Impact on Local Communities
Writing in September 2022, the developer Salboy argued that short-term lets such as Airbnb were causing growing problems for neighbourhoods. It noted that a 2015 change in English law allow homes to be let short-term for as many as 90 days annually with no planning permission needed. Listings had risen since, it said, along with concern over disorderly guests, unlawful subletting of council homes and a squeeze on local housing.
Salboy said figures from STR and AirDNA suggested Airbnb stays now cost almost as much as hotel rooms in some places, once cleaning and extra-guest fees are added, and it speculated that rising living costs could dent demand. It also pointed to weaker safety regulation than hotels face.
On subletting, it cited Kensington and Chelsea's lead member for housing, Kim Taylor-Smith, who said tenancy fraud is not victimless and costs taxpayers about £42,000 per home each year. Salboy said councils want Airbnb's help in exposing those who illegally sublet council homes. The company also described noise, rubbish and party bookings, noting a rise in party reservations during 2020 and Airbnb's trial of anti-party technology.
For Manchester, it cited a report whose authors included journalists, academics and two local housing campaign groups, the tenants union and Housing Action. It found Airbnb listings in the city growing by over 300% a year from 2016 to 2020, and warned that by 2030 the shift of long-term rentals to short stays could leave more than 4,000 households, about 9,400 people, without a home. Salboy said this pushes up prices and leaves areas empty out of season, and that it bans short-term lets in all of its developments.