Call for tougher regulation on Airbnbs as Bath hotels and B&Bs put out of business

Hoteliers and B&B owners in Bath are calling for tougher regulation of Airbnbs in the city.

They say the 'massive' growth in private holiday lets over the past five years has created an unequal playing field and has put some traditional B&Bs out of business.

Bath is a popular tourist spot which has many good places to stay. According to TripAdvisor, one of the best is Bodhi House B&B on Englishcombe Lane.

But its owner Catherine Taylor said she had to close down as she just could not compete with the city's ever-growing number fo Airbnbs.

She said: "I'd always filled rooms, and suddenly I couldn't, even on Saturday nights. Most Airbnb owners, they have a job, they have a day job. But for us it was our livelihood.

Former B&B owner Catherine Taylor says she had no choice but to close down because of the growing number Airbnbs. Credit: ITV West Country

"If you're going to support a growing family and pay your bills you can't do it on the sort of prices that some Airbnb owners are charging."

Anyone can advertise their spare room or home on Airbnb but Laurence Beere, a hotelier in Bath, feels the lack of control puts traditional hotels like his at a disadvantage.

She said : "You've got a massive influx of hospitality accommodation that is unregulated, a lot of it not VAT registered, so it operates at a lower price point because it's not paying its fair share of taxation.

"Also they are not having to bear some of the typical overheads that a business like mine has to - such as fire regulation, health and safety regulation."

The Queensberry Hotel in Bath. Credit: ITV West Country

What does Airbnb say?

Airbnb said it does back the introduction of new rules to regulate short term rentals. A spokesperson said: "The pandemic has had an impact on all tourism operators and home sharing helps ordinary families in Bath benefit from tourism as it recovers.

"Nearly a quarter of listing on Airbnb in Bath are from locals sharing private rooms in their homes and nearly a third of UK Hosts on Airbnb say the incomes helps them to make ends meet.

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"Airbnb has long backed the introduction of new rules to regulate short term rentals and has presented proposals for a national registration system to support the government further."

The government plans to consult Airbnb on the possible introduction of a Tourist Accommodation Registration Scheme in England, which would include Airbnbs.

The company insists it has long-supported this idea and believes rentals make an important contribution to local economies.