Glasgow landlords raise prices for UN climate summit

Glasgow landlords are asking for up to £36,000 to rent a flat during the fortnight of the UN climate summit COP26 as they seek to take advantage of the influx of more than 25,000 people flocking to the city over the next month.

COP26 attendees have already faced hurdles including Covid-19 travel restrictions and testing requirements – but getting a bed in the Scottish host city is proving to be the toughest hurdle of them all .

A single room at the Smiths Hotel in Finnieston, a 15-minute walk from the conference venue, is on offer at £14,000 for the two weeks of the event which starts October 31, before dropping to just £903 for the two following weeks.

On Airbnb, one landlord – perhaps optimistically – is listing a luxury three-bedroom apartment for £34,045 from October 29 to November 12.

Another apartment, comprising just 735 square feet, is available to rent for £36,400 for the fortnight.

Due to the uncertainties of Covid-19 travel rules, many delegations did not finalize their plans until September or October, particularly countries that had previously been on the UK’s travel ‘red list’.

With beds in Glasgow no longer available, or at least not at a price most delegations can afford, many negotiators, campaigners and officials are now staying in Edinburgh, 45 miles away.

“Our people come from the other side of the world. . . and now the nearest accommodation available is in Edinburgh,” said Tagaloa Cooper-Halo, who coordinates several Pacific Island delegations. “It’s going to be really difficult.”

The official COP26 website ordered delegates to stay in Edinburgh since at least September, noting that all beds contracted by the official accommodation provider, MCI, have been filled.

The shortage is partly due to the large entourages accompanying some government delegations – more than 1,000 people will accompany US President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet, people familiar with the planning have said.

The city’s total hotel room supply is around 15,000 rooms, according to the Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Some delegates have had their reservations canceled by owners wanting to raise prices. Trade publication Carbon Pulse has reduced its delegation after being repeatedly canceled, according to director Mike Szabo. “We booked through hotels.com, through Airbnb, through Vrbo, and each was canceled by the owners,” he said.

While some two-bedroom apartments in Glasgow listed on Airbnb on Friday were advertised for less than £3,000 from October 31 to November 31, most were over £4,000 and a few were much more expensive.

Because these negotiations often go on all night, staying close to the center is a priority for negotiators.

Those looking for a cheaper way to stay in Glasgow during the global weather event should look for more creative solutions.

An owner is renting his ‘much-loved motorhome’, called Alexis, which sleeps two adults on its ‘crash-tested M1 rock’n’roll bed’ – for £1,912.

For those not worried about a lack of personal space, the Booking.com website offers a single bunk bed in a 14-person dorm in central Glasgow for £181 a night.

In the meantime, two cruise ships with a combined capacity of over 6,000 beds have been reserved to accommodate the participants: the Romantika and the MS Silja Europa.

Airbnb has also offered £100 vouchers in an attempt to entice new hosts to list vacant rooms on the platform, in a bid to increase supply.

Many delegates fear that poorer countries will struggle to be properly represented at COP26 due to the shortage of affordable housing.

Kat Jones, COP26 Project Manager at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said COP26 Host Family Network had received thousands of nominations from delegates.

“We didn’t expect to have a demand from people across the company. . . we are talking about scientists, people who have jobs at the COP like translators, delegations, etc. “, she said. A thousand people have been placed in homes so far, with another 2,500 on the waiting list on Friday.

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Letter in response to this article:

Homeowner shame bodes ill for climate summit / By Judith Martin, Winchester, Hampshire, UK