Residents and city councils losing out because of Airbnb | Letters
Congratulations to John Harris for his excellent article on the reality of Airbnb (Profiteers make a killing on Airbnb - and erode communities, 12, February). The scale and nature of this problem needs to be exposed. Harris is absolutely right to distinguish between local residents letting out a spare room and commercial operations buying into the property market for large returns. In our local residents' association, the disruption caused by Airbnb visitors is in the top five of problems where action is desperately sought from the council.
There are two points worth adding. Firstly, Edinburgh council acts more like the Edinburgh development corporation than a local authority, promoting tourism with singular disregard for the people who actually live in central Edinburgh 365 days a year. This helps to generate the market in which Airbnb flourishes. It also gives the council a stake in Airbnb accommodation. Secondly, the city loses out on tax revenue from this "non-commercial" sector's demands on the infrastructure. No one is against tourism, but it should be balanced against the needs of those who live and work in Edinburgh. But then we all know the pressures on council from many directions.
Peter Williamson
Edinburgh