Landlords evicting tenants for Airbnb and holiday lets, report finds

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.

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.

Last month, the government launched a consultation into how to balance the need for tourist accommodation with homes for locals to live in. The deadline for responses is 21 September.

In the meantime, councils are coming up with their own solutions. North Yorkshire county council is considering proposals to introduce a 100% premium for council tax bills on second homes, while new rules come into force next year in Wales requiring second homeowners to pay 300% council tax.

Landlords said it was not only money but experiences with bad tenants and a lack of flexibility in long-term lettings that was driving them to platforms such as Airbnb.

One landlord who got a court order to evict a tenant who did not pay rent for 14 months told the Guardian she would eventually turn her other long-term lets into Airbnbs.