Airbnb is accused of taking over Edinburgh after the apartment was pictured with 11 key safes
“Stop this madness now!” Airbnb is accused of taking over Edinburgh, a tourist town where a property is pictured with 11 key safes on its front door for short-term tenants.
- A building with nearly a dozen key safes could be the end of Airbnb
- In a photo shared on Reddit reveals a row of 11 key safes next to a front door
- The property is located in a tourist hotspot along Edinburgh‘s iconic Royal Mile
A building with nearly a dozen key safes at its front door could be the final straw for Airbnb in Edinburgh.
In an extraordinary photo shared on Reddita row of 11 key safes are perched along the right side of the front door of a property on Edinburgh’s iconic Royal Mile.
Key safes refer to mini metal lockers that securely store apartment keys for vacationers and other short-term visitors.
An apartment block (pictured) with nearly a dozen key safes at its front door could be the ‘last straw’ for Airbnb in Edinburgh
The photo that was shared on Reddit shows a row of 11 key safes perched along the right side of the red front door of a property on Edinburgh’s iconic Royal Mile (pictured)
They are only accessible to tenants and guests who know the combination code.
The property is a stone’s throw from tourist hotspots, including Edinburgh Castle and entry to the Hogmanay Street Festival held in December.
A flat owner has advertised his flat for a staggering £215 per night due to its location in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
The photo taken by Chris Pettigrew with the caption ‘Actual Final Boss of Edinburgh Airbnb’ sparked debate among social media users.
Key safes, like the 11 pictured outside an Edinburgh property (pictured, left), have become more popular in recent years with the rise of Airbnb (pictured, right) and other rentals short term.
A man said, ‘My god. Unbelievable. How did we get here ? Stop this madness now.
Another downplayed the debate, challenging why locals would want to live in a tourist hub in the first place.
“Why would someone who lives here want to stay in the busiest tourist areas anyway?” another kick back.
A former tenant said he was shocked by the large number of key safes, but was happy to be able to come back for a visit.
One man said: ‘I lived here from 2012 to 2015 and there were a few Airbnb’s but nothing like that. It was a big apartment; I guess the good news is that I can probably go back when I visit.
A quick Google Street View search reveals the impact of the Airbnb boom and short-term rentals over the past few years.
The photo taken by Chris Pettigrew with the caption ‘Actual Final Boss of Edinburgh Airbnb’ sparked debate among social media users.
A man said, ‘My god. Unbelievable. How did we get here ? Stop this madness now’
“Why would someone who lives here want to stay in the busiest tourist areas anyway?” another hit back
A street view of the 2015 property has no key safe pictured next to the door.
However, a year later, three key safes were installed, followed by seven in May 2017.
It comes after the Scottish government revealed plans to restrict Airbnb rentals in Edinburgh after a series of complaints from tenants.
Global cities have imposed restrictions in an effort to control short-term rentals. In London, short-term rentals are limited to 90 days per year, while Amsterdam has a 60-day limit.
New York has stricter rules making it illegal to occupy a short-term rental for more than 30 consecutive days unless the host is present.
An Airbnb spokesperson told MailOnline:
“Airbnb is built on the principles of building communities, extending the benefits of tourism beyond hotels to Scottish families and local businesses. Whole house listings on Airbnb make up less than 2.5% of the available housing stock in Edinburgh, with the typical host sharing their home less than four nights a month.
And while customers using Airbnb make up just 5% of visitors to Scotland, they boost the Scottish economy by almost £1.5million a day and have put an estimated £240million in the pockets of families. ‘Edinburgh last year alone.
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