AIRBNB has denied turning residential areas of York into the ‘Wild West’ – and backed an MP’s call for regulation governing short-term holiday rentals.
York Central MP Rachael Maskell said that during a series of visits to residential areas of York over Easter, she had encountered ‘desperate’ residents who no longer felt safe in their neighborhoods and were living next to endless parties, depriving them of sleep.
She said a comprehensive licensing system for Airbnb programs was needed to stop the growth of these cheaper vacation spots, which were increasingly being used for bachelor and bachelorette parties and transforming communities. in the Wild West.
Asked to respond to his comments by The Press, the company said yesterday it had not received any complaints to investigate in York and had contacted the MP’s office to offer support.
A spokesperson said Airbnb had previously been incorrectly named and linked to issues through other platforms.
“With no cases to review, there is no evidence that the concerns raised relate specifically to Airbnb stays and not bookings made elsewhere,” they said.
They said Airbnb had a number of measures in place to combat anti-social behavior and that hosts could cancel reservations without penalty if they reasonably believed a guest was planning to throw a party or an unauthorized event.
“Parties are banned on Airbnb, and we have zero tolerance for anti-social behavior – having already removed or suspended over 1,000 listings in the UK as part of a crackdown on so-called ‘party houses’ . ”
The spokesman added that Airbnb had long made calls for the introduction of rules on short-term rentals, and last week called on the government to speed up its planned consultation on a tourist accommodation register.
Comments are closed.