An MP claims the proliferation of short lets via Airbnb and similar online platforms is indirectly pricing local people out of their areas.
Hywel Williams, MP for Arfon in Wales, says there has been a huge increase in short lets across the county of Gwynedd - a trend that "simply isn't sustainable" as people are being priced out of homes in their own communities.
Williams, a Plaid Cymru MP, says "greater controls" are required to limit the volume of local housing stock used for short lets.
A recent report by Welsh nationalists claimed a third of homes sold in Gwynedd and on Anglesey in the past year were purchased as additional properties.
Meanwhile Welsh Revenue Authority figures show that 38 per cent of house purchases in Gwynedd in the year to April involved a duty surcharge - the sign that they were likely to be second homes or buy to lets.
This is the highest proportion anywhere in Wales.
The MP has told local media: ”Whilst letting out your own home for a short period to supplement your income is understandable, what we are now seeing are houses being permanently taken out of the local housing stock for holiday rental purposes.
"The proliferation of Airbnb properties and similar UK wide and international companies nowadays is not only limited to rural, isolated communities. We are fast-seeing terraced houses in urban areas across Gwynedd being snapped-up as long-term holiday rentals.
"And these are two to three-bedroom properties, which would otherwise be ideal starter homes for young families or first-time buyers. It simply isn’t sustainable to have so much of our local housing stock being put beyond the reach of those who live and work here, not to mention taking a market share from local guesthouses and B&Bs."
He is urging the Welsh Government to follow the example set by cities such as Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona, which all have restrictions on Airbnb and similar lettings.
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The value of housing in those areas is clearly higher as holiday accommodation than as C3 housing. That's good for tourism. Why fight it?
Because it is fraud.
Lenders don't allow AirBnB lettings.
Neither do freeholders of flat blocks
Neither do insurers.
Neither do lenders.
The vast majority of AirBnB is FRAUDULENT
Not strictly true. There are multiple lenders that allow short lets. A lease would need a restriction specifically against short lets, otherwise it's allowed. There are multiple holiday let insurers available. The question is, do all landlords operate correctly? Nope. Licensing will be coming soon.
Maybe reducing mortgage interest on Home providers, who rent their properties to people for somewhere to live, but not on those purchasing properties to rent short term as holiday lets, sends the wrong message in terms of the government's priorities? Just a thought
AIRBNB, have always been "Cowboys" of the wild west.
Who is policing this nonsense?. What safety issues to match P.R.S. & holiday products are being monitored.
@tom soane
Of course you are correct that there are SOME lenders prepared to lend for short-term lets.
But it is a fact that most Freeholders do not allow such letting and actually insist on AST.
It is also the case that most block insurance policies usually paid with service charges do NOT cover short-term lets.
They would cover lodgers.
But lodgers aren't short-term.
Very few of those engaging in short-term letting would wish to convert to those type of mortgages from their residential ones as converting back to a residential mortgage could be impossible.
Plus there may well be issues exiting a residential mortgage.
Most fraudulent AirBnB don't bother telling their resi lenders because if they did their lender would most probably call in the loan.
Even if asked very few resi lenders would give permission for short-term letting.
Licensing is all very well but how do you do it for something that is FRAUDULENT!!??
Using this logic we will be licensing drug dealers!!!
NO the fact remains that in the UK most of AirBnB is based on fraud.
What AirBnB should be required to do before listing a property is to have confirmation in writing from
Freeholders
Leaseholders
Insurers
Lenders
Councils
that they all give permission to have AirBnB usage of the concerned property.
This will never happen because AirBnB know hardly any prospective hosts would be able to obtain all the relevant permissions.
AirBnB is fully aware that its business model is fundamentally based on FRAUD.
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