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Alison Benjamin from BBC Verify and Guy Lynn from BBC London Investigations have found through their research that landlords are exploiting Airbnb by creating multiple listings for properties, circumventing restrictions on short-term lets. In London, where homes can be rented to tourists for up to 90 nights a year without planning permission, many landlords are abusing the system by creating numerous listings for the same property and switching to a new one once the limit is reached. This allows them to unlawfully continue renting out the property for short-term lets all year round, despite the regulations meant to protect the city’s housing supply.
London, being one of Airbnb’s largest markets globally, is unique in the UK for limiting tourist lets to 90 days. This policy aims to allow individuals to earn extra income from their homes while safeguarding rental housing availability for residents like Ciaron Tobin. Tobin, a 22-year-old preparing to start a law degree in London while working part-time, has struggled to find affordable housing near his workplace due to escalating prices influenced by Airbnb activities. Despite Airbnb’s denial of its impact on rental prices, many landlords view the 90-day legislation as overly restrictive.
BBC Verify utilized photo-matching software to examine 37,000 Airbnb adverts for entire homes in London on a single day. The investigation revealed approximately 1,300 listings featuring identical images, suggesting hosts are evading the 90-day rule through duplicate listings. Airbnb has stated that it employs software with a built-in counter to enforce the 90-day limit and that creating duplicate listings is against its terms. Westminster City Council leader, Adam Hug, has expressed concerns over the situation, indicating that illegal short-term lets strain housing supply when affordable accommodations are critical.
The issue of duplicate listings on Airbnb has garnered attention from local authorities, with Westminster City Council investigating about 2,700 properties for potential violations of the 90-day restriction. The Greater London Authority highlighted the detrimental impact of illegal short-term lets on housing supply, emphasizing the need for affordable housing. While Airbnb contests the findings, citing its efforts to address rule evasions, government bodies are working on implementing a registration scheme for short-term lets in England. Similar regulations exist in Scotland and Wales, while other global cities like New York and Barcelona have stringent restrictions on short-term rentals
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