The perceived impacts of short-term rentals in Glasgow: a resident's perspective on Airbnb

Abstract

In recent years, STRs have expanded rapidly and at a global scale raising considerable planning and regulatory concerns for cities around the world. At the centre of this is Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider which operates in 34,000 cities worldwide. Consequently, Airbnb has attracted attention considerable media attention as cities grapple to address the emerging impacts and regulate the platform. Therefore, this dissertation aims to explore the perceived impacts of short-term rental, such as Airbnb, in Glasgow. A series of 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents in Glasgow who lived in neighbourhoods that have a higher than average presence of STRs. The data was the analysed thematically, using extended quotes, in order to determine what resident perceived the positive and negative impacts to be and what the appropriate regulatory response is. A range of positive and negative impacts were identified in the data, although it became apparent that these impacts were not felt as harshly as other European cities. Finally, residents proposed solutions to the perceived impacts discussed, suggesting legislation should mirror the HMO licencing process.