You’d be hard-pressed to find a Brit who doesn’t have fond childhood memories of sunbathing and paddling through the waves on one of our glorious beaches.
Deal planes in Kent have long attracted visitors, while tourists travel miles to sample fresh oysters in Whitstable, a seaside town 40 kilometers from Canterbury.
But the popularity of Britain’s seaside communities is now threatening their very survival as an influx of holiday rentals on the Airbnb website is driving out young families, forcing schools and businesses to close.
Abersoch, on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, has just 550 homes and a staggering 247 Airbnbs. It draws crowds from Cheshire, Liverpool and Birmingham.
A Mail investigation lays bare the scale of the problem and has identified all 24 coastal communities that are now Airbnb hotspots in Britain, including one town that has just 550 homes and a staggering 247 Airbnbs.
Abersoch was once a sleepy fishing village on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, but its popularity soared in the 1950s as wealthy families flocked to its shores to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. . It now attracts crowds from Cheshire, Liverpool and Birmingham who seek it out for its pretty coastal coastline.
Tourism was manageable until many of the village’s cottages and cottages were converted to Airbnb, which can now cost up to £356 a night.
A cozy stone cottage with a striking blue door on the outskirts of Abersoch may have once been home to a family of four, but it now brings in up to £1,711 a week, or £6,844 a month on Airbnb.
Although holiday rentals are plentiful, there is only one long-term rental house available in the village, which costs £1,500 a month, much more than most residents can afford.
Meanwhile, a typical house in the area is now worth £201,100, much more than the average price of a semi-detached house in Wales, which reached £163,789 this year according to online property portal Zoopla.
The impact of Airbnb’s rise is evident throughout the community.
Ilfracombe, in north Devon, is home to several high-profile residents, including artists Damien Hirst and Turner Prize nominee George Shaw.
Around 180 of the pastel-coloured properties in Appledore, Devon, have been converted into Airbnbs, equivalent to one holiday rental for every ten homes.
The town’s only primary school, Ysgol Abersoch, was forced to close two years ago due to a lack of pupils, in a blow residents described at the time as “ripping out the heart” of the community.
Many shops, restaurants and pubs are now only open on weekends or between the months of March and September, when tourist influx is highest.
Further down the beautiful cliff-lined coast of West Wales lies Newport, a lively little town with 368 Airbnbs, equivalent to one holiday rental for every two and a half households.
Chris Bailey, national campaign director for the group Action on Empty Homes, said communities are now being “hollowed out” because they no longer have a year-round economy.
“With a visitor economy you lose the availability of affordable housing for young people to start families,” he said.
“There is also no accommodation for people on lower incomes, who are the type of people who would work in pubs, restaurants and hotels.”
It’s a similar story in Ilfracombe, a small port town almost 300 miles away in north Devon.
Deal in Kent is a popular tourist destination, but was previously a fishing and mining hotspot.
Tourists travel miles to sample fresh oysters in Whitstable, a coastal town 40 kilometers from Canterbury.
Residents of Whitby, North Yorkshire, went to the polls in 2022 to limit second home sales, with more than 90 per cent of residents voting in favor of imposing restrictions.
The town, once a humble trading port on the Bristol Channel, is home to several high-profile residents, including artists Damien Hirst and Turner Prize nominee George Shaw.
Although only 5,042 homes remain in the city, the number on Airbnb has skyrocketed to 368.
Meanwhile, there are just 11 rental properties available on Rightmove, including a two-bedroom apartment priced at £1,200 a month and a four-bedroom family home for £1,300 a month.
A typical house in the region is now worth £311,300, well above the average price of a semi-detached house in the UK, which reached £271,730 this year.
Just 45 minutes from the coast in Appledore, 180 of the town’s pastel-coloured properties have been converted into Airbnbs, equivalent to one holiday rental for every ten households.
A renovated fisherman’s cottage on one of Appledore’s most popular streets is available for £246 a night, or £6,044 a month on the platform.
Rowland Atkinson, professor of urban studies and planning at the University of Sheffield, said landlords are now evicting tenants, forcing them to leave the community they may have grown up in or worked in.
“Landlords are tipping renters to convert properties to Airbnb because what they can get on a weekend or weekly basis is so much more,” he said.
‘For young people, all the local economy offers are relatively low-paid, insecure jobs. Community cohesion has been destroyed in many places and this is generating massive resentment.”
In September, North Devon Council unveiled plans to crack down on residential properties in the area in a bid to tackle the housing crisis in the county.
The plans were aimed at stopping the 1,100 multiple occupancy homes in North Devon from being let out as holiday lets.
Graham Bell, North Devon councilor and lead member for housing, said the lack of residents in the area is increasing pressure on local services.
“I work at the local hospital and we are having huge problems because we are losing staff because we have trainers, nurses or allied professionals who are forced to leave the area,” she said.
A cottage in Appledore rented out as an Airbnb for £271 per night
In Woolacombe, North Devon, the town pharmacy almost closed due to a lack of local business.
In Newport, West Wales, there are 368 Airbnbs, which is equivalent to one holiday rental for every two and a half households.
“Woolacombe Town Pharmacy was on the verge of closing because it was losing business.”
Many of the people employed in the city’s shops and restaurants have now resorted to living in vans because they cannot afford property, he said.
Other areas have also begun to fight back.
Residents of Whitby, a seaside town in North Yorkshire, went to the polls in 2022 to limit second home sales, with more than 90 per cent of residents voting in favor of imposing restrictions.
But despite the new rules, there are still 744 Airbnbs in the city, showing that more can be done to stop the growing number of vacation rentals.
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