A new map has been released which highlights the true scale of the AirBnB industry in Edinburgh.
The map, which shows how many Airbnb holiday lets appear in each region of the city reveals that the phenomenon stretches beyond traditional tourist hotspots like the Old Town.
The map’s creators, pressure group Place Edinburgh, estimated there were over 9000 separate Edinburgh property listings on Airbnb in 2019 and around 500 entire-home reviews were posted per day.
The map uses data from InsideAirbnb.com to show the number of bookings and location of holiday lets.
In a note on the map website the group laid out their opposition to the number of Airbnbs, saying: “Airbnb lists properties for rent on a short-term basis, either Entire-homes, without the host present, or Rooms within the hosts' home.
“These businesses operate out with the regulations applied to traditional landlords, HMOs or Bed and Breakfasts. With many hosts never even meeting their guests face-to-face they can become removed from the day-to-day issues caused by their rental.”
The densest concentration is obviously in the old town with the second highest concentration in Newington and hotspots in Dalry, Leith, Abbeyhill and Easter Road.
As of Spring 2021 the Council has the power to declare zones of the city off-limits to entire-home short-term lets without first procuring a license.
But there is no decision yet on how much of the city will be adopted under these zoning laws, what the licensing model will be, the criteria to be granted a license, or what recourse there will be for residents when hosts flout these regulations.
The Council have recently granted a handful of Enforcement Notices barring specific properties from functioning as short-term lets due to noise or disruption to neighbors – but these are sometimes ignored but property owners.
You can find the map hosted on coding website Github.
An Airbnb spokesperson said earlier: “We have long supported calls for fair regulations and a tourism tax in Scotland. Now we want to work with the Scottish Government and local authorities on clear and simple guidance for hosts.
"Together we can help locals share their homes and follow the rules, and avoid a system that excludes working families through fees, barriers and bureaucracy.
"Our platform is an economic lifeline for countless local families and travel on Airbnb boosts the Scottish economy by almost £2 million a day."
