大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - Are spare room apps ripping the heart out of communities?

Are spare room apps ripping the heart out of communities?

Being able to stay in the comfort of someone's home when visiting a new city is one of the main benefits of using a spare room app, but they have also been having a negative effect on some cities.

The Nine visited Valencia, a city with neighbourhoods that have as many as 1 in 8 properties being rented out via spare room app Airbnb.

An influx of tourists has seen more money being spent in the city, but local residents suggest that they have been negatively impacted due to rent increases as high as 60% causing many to have to leave their homes in search of more affordable alternatives.

The Airbnb Effect - how positive is the spare room app?

The Airbnb Effect

Do short-term holiday lets affect the UK?

An example of a UK city that has seen a large number of properties turning into short-term holiday lets is Edinburgh.

During the Fringe Festival, there are people who rent out their flats to tourists attending the world's biggest arts festival – with the ability to make money over the month of August an incentive for property owners in Scotland’s capital.

There are Edinburgh residents who welcome the influx of holiday visitors in August, over Hogmanay, and throughout the rest of the year; but there are some who believe that the increase of properties offering short-term holiday lets has had a negative effect on the community in places like Edinburgh's Old Town.

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The pros and cons of spare room apps

There are obvious positives with using spare room apps – with the ability to stay in a city in a level of comfort akin to a local resident adding to a holiday experience.

But there are a growing number of people who see spare room apps as being detrimental to businesses such as hotels and actual B&Bs.