AirBnB in London: one in 50 London homes now used as short lets not housing

One home in 50 in the capital is now advertised for short-term lets in a boom that is making it harder for permanent London residents to secure a roof over their heads, it was claimed today.

A survey found 73,549 flats and houses available on six leading online letting platforms, Airbnb, Booking.com, HomeAway, HouseTrip, Niumba and TripAdvisor — about two per cent of the total housing stock.

The research, carried out by London Councils, the body that represents all 33 local authorities in the capital, did not include rooms within homes.

Darren Rodwell, executive member for housing at London Councils, said: “At a time when almost one in 50 Londoners is homeless, it’s ridiculous that potentially one in 50 London homes is rented out as a short-term let.

"The market is growing out of control. Boroughs are hearing more and more complaints about short-term lets linked to anti-social behaviour and even criminality.”

London Councils is calling for tougher regulation of the sector including compulsory registration of short-term lets and beefed up powers for local authorities to protect housing stock and clamp down on irresponsible property owners.

Although the rise in the number of homes available for short-term lets has vastly increased the once limited range of budget accommodation in London, there have also been concerns about their use as “party houses” and bases for prostitution and drug dealing.

One woman had her apartment in north London vandalised on New Year’s Eve in 2017, after a renter used a fake Airbnb profile.

She received a Facebook message telling her of a wild party at the flat while she was in Los Angeles.

Neighbours saw men with knives and machetes near the flat, while revellers inside caused thousands of pounds worth of damage by taking belongings, urinating on her bed and extinguishing cigarettes on furniture, before about 30 police officers dispersed the mob.

London Councils said it believes the capital risks “lagging behind” other cities in its response to regulating the market.

It said Paris and Barcelona have mandatory registration schemes for short-term lets, heavy fines for rule breaches and invest significant resources into monitoring the market and enforcing standards.

Londoners can let out their homes for up to 90 nights a year without planning permission.

Merilee Karr, UK Short Term Accommodation Association chairwoman, a trade body representing the short-term rental sector, said: “There is no study which demonstrates a concrete link between short-term rentals and a lack of housing supply in the UK.”

She added: “We believe that industry measures and host education will more directly address residential amenity concerns than any new regulations.”