Airbnb partly blamed as report shows Gwynedd’s holiday homes emergency has hit ‘critical point’

The rise of online booking platforms has partly been blamed for Gwynedd’s holiday homes emergency hitting a “critical point”.

Detailed research carried out by Gwynedd Council has been published to identify concrete measures that should be taken immediately to address the situation.

The report commissioned by Gwynedd Council’s cabinet will be presented to the communities scrutiny committee next Thursday.

It notes that the number of holiday homes and second homes in the county has increased significantly and that this is having a severe detrimental effect on the ability of local people to access the housing market.

The research carried out over the past year reveals that:

• Almost 60% of local people are priced out of the housing market in the county;
• Gwynedd has the highest percentage of holiday homes in Wales;
• Around 6,849 or 10.77% of Gwynedd’s housing stock are holiday homes or second homes as compared to an all-Wales average of 2.56%.

Councillor Gareth Griffith, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member for Environment said: “There have been concerns about the number of holiday homes in some areas of Gwynedd for many years.

“This new research confirms that this trend has intensified over recent years with the development of on-line platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and Bookings.com which make it far easier to market residential units for holiday use.

“In some areas of the county, the situation is truly alarming with an AirDNA survey showing an increase of 915% in available units in Gwynedd in the summer of 2019 as compared to January 2017.

“At a local level, county councils like Gwynedd are implementing policies and initiatives to enable local people to access the housing market.

“But, there is only so much that councils are able to do within current legislation, and there is an urgent need for Welsh Government to introduce all-Wales legislation before it becomes too late.

“On a more optimistic note, the research highlights several systems already in place to manage the situation in other countries that could be replicated here in Wales.

“In Scotland for example, a system is being introduced which will require all holiday units to obtain a license before they start letting as well as planning permission in some areas.

“Such a system in Wales would be a significant step forward, and we need to see the Welsh Government introducing similar rules.

“Here in Gwynedd, we are committed to intensifying the work of looking in detail at our local planning policies to consider the steps we can take locally to further control the situation.

“I am confident that as a council we will be introducing improvements as soon as possible.

“For the sake of our communities, I hope that the Welsh Government considers the report’s other recommendations as a matter of urgency.”

Councillor Craig ab Iago, Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for Housing added: “Ensuring a suitable supply of housing for local people to live in their communities is a key priority for us.

“But spiralling house prices due to the demand for holiday homes and second homes is pushing the fundamental right to a home in their own communities beyond the reach of local people in an increasing number of our communities.

“It is frankly immoral that in a village like Abersoch that 46% of houses are holiday accommodation and the average house price is £365,275 – well beyond 92% of local people.

“We’re doing all we can to ensure fair play for the people of Gwynedd, and we are about to launch an ambitious Housing Action Plan which will increase the housing available for local people.

“However, this research makes it crystal clear that action must be taken at the national level and there are many steps that need to be taken by the Welsh Government if we are to truly tackle the problem.”

Following consideration from the communities scrutiny committee, the research will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 15 December.