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The Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) is renewing its calls for tighter regulations and restrictions to be imposed on Airbnb properties due to its negative impact on the hospitality sector.
The association has stated that it would like to see limits placed on how many days properties are able to be let for and for homes to be licensed.
In the association’s call out for the clampdown of unregulated companies like Airbnb, BHA chair Raphael Herzog made contact with Bristol’s Mayor Marvin Rees who is “aware of the situation”.
According to Rees, the local council is relying on the government to regulate Airbnb nationally.
Last year, Mayor Rees reportedly spoke about the “wicked challenge” of Airbnb in the city and said he had few powers to tackle it.
Raphael Herzog, chair of BHA, said: “As of 8 December 2022, there were 3,689 active Airbnb and VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) listings in Bristol. This is affecting hospitality, since Airbnb homes don’t have any of the regulations on them that we have, which means, of course, that their rates can be lower.
“With so many families facing financial difficulties at the moment, it is easy to see why they would want to find the cheapest accommodation possible for a break, so by being able to regularly undercut the prices of hotels, Airbnb properties are a threat to our businesses.”
He added: “So, we are now, once again, urging those who do have the power to urgently consider strategies that will help lessen the impact of businesses like Airbnb. This is not a case of us being afraid of competition; this is, by its nature, a very competitive industry. But it’s only right and fair that accommodation providers are all starting from a level playing field.”
