Feb

One in four properties are listed on Airbnb in some areas, claims new research

admin

Airbnb claims research is flawed because it does not separate out the number of listings from the level bookings – which it says are very different things.

In the latest round of Airbnb bashing, research released
over the weekend shows many parts of the country have one listing on the
platform for every four properties.

Airbnb is under media scrutiny again with fresh warnings
that the rapid expansion of short-term lets is being made at the expense of the
private rented sector, depriving locals of homes.

Using data gathering firm Inside Airbnb, The Guardian newspaper identified hotspots in both rural areas and
inner-cities, with the highest incidence of Airbnbs in Edinburgh Old Town,
where there were 29 active listings for every 100 properties.

In England, Woolacombe, Georgham and Croyde, in Devon had
the highest rate of Airbnb lets, with 23 listings for every 100 properties.

The newspaper cross-referenced a database of more than
250,000 Airbnb active listings with government housing stock figures to
calculate the ‘penetration rate’ of Airbnbs in 8,000 areas across England,
Wales and Scotland. Across the whole of Great Britain, there were 0.8 Airbnb
listings for every 100 homes.

The dataset covers entire homes, private rooms and shared
rooms, although two-thirds of active listings (67%) are for entire apartments.

Airbnb says the findings are based on “unreliable scraped
data and flawed methodology”, emphasising that unusual listings such as
caravans or large manor houses, used for events, might not affect the local
housing stock.

It says some listings might be booked for only a few
nights a year. The company is nearing the end of a nationwide roadshow to find
a way to make it easier for local authorities to enforce existing legislation.

Earlier this month, City Hall
used the same data firm to reveal that hosts with multiple properties are behind at
least one-third of Airbnbs listed in the capital. It found the number of Airbnb
listings in London had quadrupled in the last four years.Read
the Guardian article.

View Full Article: One in four properties are listed on Airbnb in some areas, claims new research