Airbnbs and short-term holiday lets have been a contentious issue in Edinburgh since the company launched in 2008.
But as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold and the tourist crowds choose to stay at home many Airbnb hosts are starting to feel the pinch.
Hosts have complained that they are being left in the lurch by a change to Airbnb’s cancellation policy allowing guests who were supposed to be travelling over the next month to receive full refunds on their bookings.
This overrides the usual cancellation policies which are set by hosts themselves and would usually protect them financially in case of cancellations.
The policy change was announced by Airbnb on Saturday - it allows guests with reservations between then and April 14 to receive full refunds.
That change has already cost Airbnb hosts in the city dearly in cancelled reservations.
Now, as cancellations continue and new bookings dry up, many hosts in Edinburgh have empty calendars for the coming weeks and are facing uncertain futures as the due dates for their mortgages, utilities bills, homeowners association fees and property taxes draw near.
One Edinburgh host said they were “rankling at their complete dismissal of hosts rights”.
However, there has been little sympathy from other quarters.
Many have long been critical of the impact short-term holiday lets have on hosing in Edinburgh, and complain that profiting from letting houses to holidaymakers in a homelessness crisis is wrong.
These people have welcomed the news that Airbnb hosts are going out of business.
Edinburgh-based academic Dominic Hinde tweeted: “To all those landlords who speculatively bought up half of Edinburgh so nobody could buy homes and slapped the flats on Airbnb on the assumption tourists would never stop, here's a tiny violin.”
Airbnb host Frank Spiers replied “This is my livelihood. Whatever your views, it's an honest living and it's under threat. Your gloating is crass in the extreme.”
Meanwhile Housing campaing group Place Edinburgh said they hoped the coronavirus would “reset rents” in the city, adding: “It makes sense that some people will have to sell up or let long term. Rents and homelessness have been rising alongside the sharp increase in residential properties being used as full time short term let businesses, without permission.
Airbnb on Tuesday sent a note to hosts explaining the reasoning behind its decision. It said Airbnb “did not want guests making the decision to put themselves in unsafe situations and creating a public health hazard because of a commitment to their bookings.”
“We are going to get through this crisis as partners — our success is dependent on the success of you, our hosts,” the note said. “We are working day and night on a plan of action that will help you get through this extremely difficult time.”
