Devon Live reports that a surge in homes marketed for short term holiday lets is strangling rural communities

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), believes that an explosion of holiday lets in rural areas has left Devon residents at risk of homelessness, with data showing that 176,058 rural families in the UK were waiting for accommodation in 2020.

Research collected by the charity shows the demand for social housing is growing nearly six times faster than the rate of supply in rural areas.

The charity claims at current rates, the backlog of low-income families needing accommodation would take 121 years to clear.

Data collected via AirDna and ONS government data live tables also showed that between September 2016 and September 2021, there was an 816% increase in the number of short-term listings in Devon.

CPRE claims the housing problem is most acute in staycation hotspots, where hundreds of homes previously available to rent to local people have been switched to short-stay holiday rentals.

Full article:

Devon Live - Rural communities 'strangled' by holiday let surge