Landlords evicting tenants for Airbnb and holiday lets, report finds

theguardian.com:

Landlords are evicting tenants and switching to Airbnbs and holiday lets because the money is better and they “do not have to worry about bad tenants”.

Research has found a boom in rental properties being used for short-term lets, caused by a rise in domestic holidays and increased regulations for long-term landlords.

In tourist areas this is putting a strain on local provisions, causing housing shortages and pushing vital workers away from areas where they are needed, leading MPs and councils to consider measures to clamp down.

A report by Scarborough council found the number of private rental properties in the centre of the town had fallen from an average of 25 homes being available at any one time in 2017 to six in 2022. The number of holiday lets rose dramatically over the same period.

The report stated: “The council is reliant on using the private rented sector in meeting demand [for housing], however, officers are reporting a significant drop off in the availability of private rented sector accommodation in the borough.

“We have also seen examples of private landlords evicting tenants in order to convert [their properties] into Airbnb and holiday lets.”

This is not unique to beauty spots, as the number of Airbnb listings in London more than quadrupled between 2015 and 2019, in a city with a shortage of long-term lets, previous research by the Greater London Authority found.

A private member’s bill brought last week by Rachael Maskell, the York Central Labour MP, aimed to implement a licence to turn domestic properties into short-term and holiday-let accommodation, give local authorities the power to issue fines and to remove licences, and seek to introduce bans on such properties in certain areas.

Last month, the