Topic: Are short-term rentals to blame for the lack of housing? (Read 841 times)

So who is to be blamed? I would say the system, inflation, that's what is the basic cause of all this. If there was no inflation, buying land and building a house wouldn't cost as much as it does today, and the rental properties wouldn't be so high. So, we should blame the system for this.

And who is to be blamed in such a situation? The owners or the tenants? I would say none, talking about owners of the rentals, who wouldn't want to get more money for something they earned and own? Every person doing any sort of business in any part of the world would want customers who would pay them more for what they are offering, so you can't blame the owners. And if we talk about the tenants, those who are ready to pay a higher rent to get the houses, you can't blame them either, because someone who can afford to pay enough to get a good place will always do, they don't need to hesitate because they can afford to rent the place for the demanded amount by the owner.

So who is to be blamed? I would say the system, inflation, that's what is the basic cause of all this. If there was no inflation, buying land and building a house wouldn't cost as much as it does today, and the rental properties wouldn't be so high. So, we should blame the system for this.

Rentals like any valid revenue should increase the ability for landlords or housing builders to increase their activity.  Usually the shortage of housing is from planning restrictions and just lack of land that can easily be built on.  Supply is restricted by government regulations, sometimes labor and materials.

And who is to be blamed in such a situation? The owners or the tenants? I would say none, talking about owners of the rentals, who wouldn't want to get more money for something they earned and own? Every person doing any sort of business in any part of the world would want customers who would pay them more for what they are offering, so you can't blame the owners. And if we talk about the tenants, those who are ready to pay a higher rent to get the houses, you can't blame them either, because someone who can afford to pay enough to get a good place will always do, they don't need to hesitate because they can afford to rent the place for the demanded amount by the owner.

So who is to be blamed? I would say the system, inflation, that's what is the basic cause of all this. If there was no inflation, buying land and building a house wouldn't cost as much as it does today, and the rental properties wouldn't be so high. So, we should blame the system for this.

The Airbnb is a concern for the locals for sure, but only the property owners are making the big bucks. With the provided information I think you work on a company or something and for that you can't move out from that city. If the demand is high then the property owners to make significant changes and rent out the house to people who are willing to live for a long time. Higher payer are always welcomed by them. In a situation like this, people will only focus on those higher paying people.

I apologize - why don’t the city authorities build student dormitories and rent them out to students, solving 2 problems - settling students + getting an additional income channel?! Or why don't private investors do this? This is a “treasure2” for investment - there is a constant, growing, unmet demand! Plus, a bunch of services will be added there - from laundry to cafes/pizzerias and pharmacies, for students. Such projects provide good development where there were problems... It’s not right to take the problem , isolate yourself in it, and just complain... Many problems can actually be turned into positive events!

In a digital world we live in, you expect technologies like Airbnb to be a must have and this is good for tourists if it works and a plus for home owners as they make more money on it, besides we have very little business ventures left for people to try out which is why many are venturing into it for easy profits.

The last thing you want is regulation, let the free market economy do it's thing , besides you mentioned that you live in a tourist city which is a benefit for the locals that own property but a disadvantage for locals looking for nice affordable housing...

If I were in your shoes, I would be thinking of moving to a different city if the option is available as will be cost cutting in both accomodation and all other necessities(school, education, health, utilities etc)

I apologize - why don’t the city authorities build student dormitories and rent them out to students, solving 2 problems - settling students + getting an additional income channel?! Or why don't private investors do this? This is a “treasure2” for investment - there is a constant, growing, unmet demand! Plus, a bunch of services will be added there - from laundry to cafes/pizzerias and pharmacies, for students. Such projects provide good development where there were problems... It’s not right to take the problem , isolate yourself in it, and just complain... Many problems can actually be turned into positive events!

I've been inactive for quite a while because I'm in the process of renting a house. I don't know how easy it is in other countries, but here, it's an extremely time-consuming and nerve-racking process. I spent more than a week in the streets without any success.

I know for a fact that many tourist-oriented cities across Europe are facing similar issues due to the increasing supply of Airbnbs and the increase in digital nomads over the years. This is rendering the situation uninhabitable for local residents, who have to face the constantly increasing rents because homeowners prefer to rent to tourists and digital nomads, who have a much higher spending capability.

In my opinion, it's doubtful that this situation is going to improve anytime soon. Touristic cities are bound to suffer from a lack of available housing for long-term rental, and Airbnb can no longer be regulated in order to create a balance between locals and tourists. What do you think can be done in such cases, and what would you do on a personal level? Move out, stick to paying an extreme amount for housing, or live in a substandard apartment hoping to find something better in the future?

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...My hometown barely has any houses available for rent, and every year it's met with the challenge of housing new university students....

I am also believing that this bubble will pop soon and it's just a matter of time. I thought that after the pandemic and with all of these wars, everything will stabilized.
But it seems not and everyone is just coping to recover and that's why most of the properties are too expensive. I'm just waiting for that moment for it to explode and I am sure that time will come.
And those hoarders that have been doing that and bought those properties on a high price, won't be able to sell it higher.

There is no doubt that the existence of Airbnbs and other short rental applications has significantly made it easier for people to get a place for a quick vacation or stay; not only does it make things more convenient as everything they need is on one application, but it also gives the convenience of making a reservation and booking with just a few clicks, unlike the traditional way of either personally going to the place or making a call (a task many of us do not really enjoy). However, in contrast with the convenience it brings us these applications also bring bad sales for hotels and other similar establishments as fewer and fewer guests are interested in staying in their places.

I've been inactive for quite a while because I'm in the process of renting a house. I don't know how easy it is in other countries, but here, it's an extremely time-consuming and nerve-racking process. I spent more than a week in the streets without any success.

I know for a fact that many tourist-oriented cities across Europe are facing similar issues due to the increasing supply of Airbnbs and the increase in digital nomads over the years. This is rendering the situation uninhabitable for local residents, who have to face the constantly increasing rents because homeowners prefer to rent to tourists and digital nomads, who have a much higher spending capability. On the one hand, from homeowners' points of view, it's understandable; they want to make the most out of their property, but on the other hand, locals will ultimately be forced to leave the city or live in poor conditions.

For instance, a typical example of how much remote working has spread in Europe and Greece specifically is the following: The official digital nomads Facebook group used to have less than 5,000 users approximately a year ago; now it has over 34,000, which doesn't necessarily mean that all these people live in Greece and work remotely, but I'm trying to emphasize how broader the issue is for locals because there's an increasing interest in short-term rentals. I remember a few years ago, the local newspaper was filled with housing listings, but after the introduction of Airbnb and short-term rentals, this has changed. Not only is there a lack of housing due to the increasing demand and the constantly decreasing supply, but those that are available are too expensive and, in some cases, unsuitable to live in due to how small and improvised they are. My previous apartment was in the basement and suffered from serious humidity and mold issues.

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in my area is about €400, which is still far from being perfect or ideal, often lacking basic utilities such as proper heating or a solar water heater, which is a must for the 300 days a year of sunshine we have. I know that compared to other European cities, this amount of money sounds insignificant, but when the average salary is approximately €700, you can wish yourself good luck living alone. No wonder almost half of the population aged between 18 and 25 still lives with their parents.

In my opinion, it's doubtful that this situation is going to improve anytime soon. Touristic cities are bound to suffer from a lack of available housing for long-term rental, and Airbnb can no longer be regulated in order to create a balance between locals and tourists. What do you think can be done in such cases, and what would you do on a personal level? Move out, stick to paying an extreme amount for housing, or live in a substandard apartment hoping to find something better in the future?

If we look at what happens in the US, the age at which children become emancipated is even lower than in Europe, and for better or worse, it is the richest and most powerful country on earth for the last century or so. We could criticise the USA for many things that I'm not going to go into here, but it depends on what you say about Asian culture being better because they live together until they emancipate. Neither yes nor no. And in southern European countries the age of emancipation is higher. In Spain it is around 30 years old, so the problem of rising prices does not lie in the fact that they emancipate at 18, generating a need for housing.

I agree with you that there is not going to be many changes anytime soon. Here in Europe, we have some Mediterranean cities that are getting visitors all around the year, it just doesn't make any sense for the landlord to get long term tenants when he can rent out his apartment short term with a premium to tourist. Tourist have much more money to spend on housing and don't care about paying higher prices as long as they are close to the city centre. The location is key here, as tourist are looking for ways to save as much time as possible in getting around the city. Which leads to the only real solution for the people living in the city, moving outside of the city centre. The time tourist will save to get around, the residents have to make up by commuting more to work. Some cities try to increase the regulation and make it harder for landlords to turn their apartment into Airbnb flats, but this is not going stop the change it will only slow it down a bit.

The presence of many room rental applications is certainly the best way for those who want to rent out a room or house. It is natural that many people feel helped by these applications because they can choose the place they want. On the other hand, of course this is a problem for hotel owners which makes the occupancy rate become quiet.

In my opinion, it's doubtful that this situation is going to improve anytime soon. Touristic cities are bound to suffer from a lack of available housing for long-term rental, and Airbnb can no longer be regulated in order to create a balance between locals and tourists.