SCOTS have been left fuming at “parasite” landlords after a number of vacation houses belonging to the identical hosts had been noticed up for hire through the Edinburgh Pageant Fringe.
Hope Conway-Gebbie had been scouring vacation rental web site Airbnb on Sunday, when she noticed listings from landlords renting out a number of vacation houses.
The 22-year-old was in disbelief after recognizing one host even renting out six separate houses for the Fringe.
Taking to social media to share her outrage, Hope concluded that short-term letting (STL) must be unlawful, reasoning that they had been damaging to residents on the lookout for houses through the housing scarcity.
Writing in a put up on Sunday, she mentioned: “[I] was having a nosy on Airbnb and there’s a brilliant host in Edinburgh with six properties.
“That’s six flats individuals might name their house throughout this housing scarcity however can’t due to parasites trying to bleed cash out of vacationers.
“I do know there’s been efforts as of late to treatment this however clearly not sufficient. hoarding housing like this must be unlawful.”
The put up acquired dozens of likes and over 150 feedback as numerous outraged residents echoed Hope’s ideas.
One individual wrote: “Airbnbs have gutted Edinburgh. [The] Council spends round £300k on lodging for the perimeter, whereas many Edinburgh residents develop into homeless.
One other mentioned: “I clear some Airbnbs but it surely’s so true. I want they might all simply return to the council. Am dwelling in non permanent lodging, been instructed I will be right here for as much as 5 years.
“I simply really feel there are too many Airbnbs.”
A 3rd commented: “There are almost 8,000 houses being denied to individuals in Edinburgh due to vacation lets.”
One other added: “I do know a number of people who personal upwards of 30 flats.”
A fifth wrote: “I believe the competition has gotten fully uncontrolled. Drastically cut back the variety of reveals and that might assist a bit.”
A remaining consumer mentioned: “Wait till the home costs crash and the Airbnb house owners shall be choking on their greed. Karma is actual.”
Talking to Hope right this moment, she mentioned: “So I’d seen [a] name for dissertation members and naturally, as somebody who lives in Edinburgh and has seen key containers cropping up across the metropolis en masse, I believed I’d have a nosy on Airbnb to take a look at the size of it.
“Fairly early on in that, I realised there have been a number of individuals with two, three, or 4 properties they had been renting out, after which in fact discovered somebody with six.
“So, whereas I’m solely referring to 1 ‘superhost’ within the put up it’s extra holistic, actually.
“Anyway, that little nosy catalysed some pre-existing frustrations about what [short-term lets] have completed to the housing market in Edinburgh over the 4 years I’ve lived right here.
“Alongside the College of Edinburgh’s fixed improve in pupil numbers (which they don’t even have the assets to handle, so employees are then additional overworked), the rise in STL’s means there’s merely not sufficient housing to go round.
“The College can solely assure lodging for first years so it’s an ideal storm to trigger conditions like we noticed final September – with college students dwelling six to a room in frequent rooms.
“The uni has shoved bunk beds in, and households [are] being positioned in non permanent lodging after which being relocated out of Edinburgh for the Fringe.”
Metropolis of Edinburgh Council has been contacted for remark.
