Hard times for the holiday let industry in the UK?

[user1477391263]

Seems like the post-COVID recovery, crappy weather, COL and other factors have dampened the situation for people owning holiday lets in places like Cornwall. On the other hand, perhaps (as the article hints towards the end) there will be an increase in long term rental properties coming on to the market.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/apr/07/britains-staycation-boom-may-be-over-as-bookings-dry-up?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1712464698

Anecdata from talking to friends tells me that many people are fed up with the rising cost of holiday lets in these places, more and more demands being placed on guest re cleaning etc., and the fact that so many local places like restaurants are understaffed; of course, part of the issue may be that locals have to an extent been priced out of the local housing market, meaning there are fewer people available to clean, mow lawns or wait on tables. It may be a good thing if the local housing market self-corrects in this manner.

Normal check in at a hotel is 11am and you have no breakfast to make or cleaning to do beforehand; check out is 3pm. And they will let you leave your bags there whatever time you arrive, plus let you in if the room is cleaned earlier which it often is as they have a team of cleaners.

Appreciate some people prefer holiday lets or they are cheaper for a family. But let’s not pretend hotels aren’t much more convenient in terms of check in/check out arrangements.

We bought a touring caravan instead, there is only two of us and I like to use my own things and have not really liked the overpriced holiday lets we have used. We are also looking at getting a campervan or small motorhome for short breaks.

a holiday let is a different offer than a hotel or a camper van.

People are all different and have different needs, so it’s hardly surprising that people have different views on them. It’s about convenience. If I go away with my husband, I’d like to be in a hotel - but he snores and if he keeps me awake, I’ve just got to lie there listening to him. In a 2 bed apartment I can move.

Similarly, I wouldn’t want to sleep more than one night in a hotel room with kids. Everyone going to sleep at 9pm? No thanks!

If I’m away with friends, I don’t mind a hotel but then again an apartment offers a sitting room where we can hang out in our pyjamas.

The only time I’ve ever been asked to clean was a mobile home in France (and also an apartment in France) but I’d remove the rubbish as a matter of courtesy, put the towels in the bath etc.

Here in Edinburgh, the council are considering charging AirBnB owners for bin collections - not sure what the situation is elsewhere in Scotland. As someone who has the misfortune of sharing communal bins with several AirBnBs, I'm all in favour of it. Hotels don't get free bin collections, so nor should commercial holiday lets.

Round here, holiday lets that are on business rates have to pay for private bin collections. Those that still pay council tax get them collected.

Even worse if one of you disabled in anyway. DH wheelchair user and needs accessible wet-room, step-free access etc. Costs off the scale since covid, often for poor quality offering, I.e. not clean, inaccurately described/photographed, poorly equipped. After paying over 4k for 3 weeks in Northumberland last summer in a poorly adapted shabby chalet we’ve decided we’re just not doing it anymore, which means replacing holidays away with days out and stuff that can be done from home-base ☺️

It's actually already the case that they should be paying for commercial waste collection, whether on business rates or not. It's counted as commercial waste. It could be that its harder to implement in flats so they haven't been strict about it previously.

We just paid 850 for a cottage in wales. It was cramped, no dishwasher, communal laundry, the bathroom was circa 1970 and leaked into the living room. There was about 4 different recycling bins and they expected us to strip all the beds and be out by 10. We were out way before ten. Three days early in fact!

Depends where you are - in France, Italy, Spain etc there is no shortage of housing in rural areas due to depopulation. Many villages basically only survive on the tourist trade. Cities are different.

They worked in agriculture, food processing, mining, and all the service industries that went around these (vehicle maintenance, engineering, haulage etc). They worked in the village shop(s) and post office, in the pub, at the doctor's surgery, in the library, at the infants school, driving the buses, caring. Many had second jobs/home businesses. Some (usually the ones in posher occupations like solicitors etc) commuted to their businesses in the nearest big town but were still active community members in the parish council, church, volunteer groups etc.

Agriculture and food processing became vastly more automated, resulting in fewer people needed, mining shut down altogether in large parts of the country. Services became much more centralised: rather than each village or small town having their own agricultural contractors, one huge centralised one serves half the county and through economies of scale puts the others out of business. The library and post office were closed (the post office taking the village shop with it), the bus routes were withdrawn, people started shopping more online, or driving into town so any surviving shops went out of business. There's nothing left for young people so they move away as soon as they can, meaning the village school doesn't have enough children left to keep going so it closes.

I've never understood the snobbery over premier inn: a massive, very comfortable bed. Guaranteed hot water, always in the city centre and good food options.

I won't stay in someone else's house or do AirBnB as it seems like such a hassle. You're expected to spend the start of your holiday faffing about making sure you understand all their rules about when to turn on the heating, where things are kept etc, and then spend the end of your holiday manically cleaning while still being expected to hand over a cleaning fee!

Not to mention the instances where I've heard of owners who won't leave guests alone and keep popping in, or won't let guests turn on the heating or air conditioning etc.

And the vast majority of the properties I've seen on these websites look so tired and worn. I'd dread to think how lumpy those mattresses are!

Way too much hassle for me.

Hard times for those owners who bought the 3/4/5 bedroom family homes and charge £2-3k per week in Cornwall, it’s very sad to see towns desolate in winter because there’s simply no one staying in the properties.

As for the holiday let industry in general I do feel that some properties which are lets wouldn’t be conducive to being lived in permanently, simply because of their small size and location, such as some of the tiny fisherman’s cottages in St Ives.

There will always be demand for quaint picturesque properties to holiday in and on the whole I’m not against them, it’s the more practical housing stock being bought up and left unoccupied for months at a time which is causing the wider issues and demographic shift leaving local businesses unable to recruit etc.

Estate agents have been using the ‘Great investment’ tag line far too often, there’s a few Cornish agencies that I firmly believe have been instrumental in the decimation of local communities.

Let’s also not forget that it took a local to sell to an out of towner in the first place, the boomers cashed in on the high demand for holiday let stock during the good years.

Even though I'm quite anti-social I much prefer the traditional airbnbs where you stay in someone's home (if I'm staying away without DC/DDog)
I pick carefully but have always stayed in places which are nicer than my own home with very pleasant hosts (just a quick chat is actually very nice if the hosts are good at their role, which all of them have been so far).

Whole house airbnbs that I can justify/afford are usually worse than my own home. I actually prefer a travelodge because I know the shower will be hot & decent.

I never never ever clean an Airbnb despite being ordered to if I have paid a cleaning fee (which they always have). I leave the place tidy and if I've left any mess like crumbs etc I clear them up as I go and put everything into the dishwasher and wash-up/put away the washing up as I consider that common courtesy. But no way am I getting the hoover out or mopping/dusting/cleaning loos etc, literally no chance!

@Twiglets1 Normal check in at a hotel is 11am and you have no breakfast to make or cleaning to do beforehand; check out is 3pm.

Not at any hotel I've been to. How would it even be possible - you check in at 11am before the previous round of guests have checked out at 3pm? They turn the rooms around in negative time?

damn I wrote it the wrong way round - check in at 3, check out at 11am!

Ah OK @Twiglets1

I’ve read through this and I think I spot the elephant in the room.

sorry for typos as I’m on my phone……and it isn’t working properly

years ago when you had small kids, if you could
not afford the villa abroad or the hotel rooms to accommodate the 4 of you giving the kids spare rooms - you went to a caravan, butlins or you didn’t go on holiday.

now parents expect that holiday…….

We went to (really budget) holiday cottages in the 1980s. It was cheaper than butlins or haven, although we occassionally went to a haven park when there was a special offer.
It wasn't much of a holiday for my mum she usually spent the first day cleaning because they were so awful! And I don't think there was anything like the regulations there are now. One place we went to had a plug socket immediately above the sink 😳 and another one used to have a power cut virtually every day which resulted in my dad having to go down the road to a phone box to call the owner to try to sort it out!

Totally agree - I had 3 camping holidays in my entire childhood as my parents couldn't afford holidays but it does seem that everyone thinks a holiday is an entitlement now, rather than cutting their cloth accordingly!

Interesting thread as I am totally over holiday cottages for various reasons mentioned on here.

I just went on a package holiday and it was great! Also going to check out Aparthotels for a city break next year. I also like holiday village type places with a pool and if I had my time as a parent over again I’d just have booked these from the off.

@Arconialiving @ScottishScouser
I disagree, why would you be less entitled to a holiday if you were on a low budget? Or if you can't go abroad your only option is camping or butlins? (Tbf some caravans are no cheaper than holiday cottages because they're usually on a park or resort with lots of facilities and that is built into the overall price)

Like I said previously there has been budget self catering accomodation since at least the 1980s - my parents would have not entertained the idea of camping (not everyone likes it) and couldn't afford a holiday abroad or a holiday park...and yet we always had a holiday....in pretty basic accomodation. Are you saying there shouldn't be any uk self catering holiday lets at all? Or just not lower priced ones?

How long ago is years ago though? I've never been on a villa holiday in another country. Or on a caravan holiday. Hotels were too expensive.

In the 1980s we had one holiday a year in a holiday cottage. They often weren't great quality and were poorly equipped. Things like fire regulations weren't taken as seriously then. Laundry facilities were communal.

So that's forty years ago.

Plenty of people still go camping or to caravans. I have loads. I actually found the caravan barely any cheaper than a cottage.
There are also loads of people who don’t go on holiday who won’t be on a thread like this.

Hi
Whilst I understand your comments..this is not all lets. I do ask for departure for 10am and arrival 4pm ( no different to hotels!) simply as i clean my cottage and ensure thorough cleaning of all spaces and preparation ( i clean a house form top to bottom!) and I have had not one guest complain only to comment how clean the cottage is! Also i do not expect loading of dishwasher, stripping of beds etc.. and this i do state however most guests do so anyway. I allow 3 doggies and set no rules but just ask beds are covered and sofas if guests wish their dogs to use these. My expectations are not ‘ridiculous’ and just wish to set the record straight whilst some owners may well do so.. some like me do not.

I am talking 40 years ago........... That's why there has been an explosion of holiday cottages is my point. More people want holidays with their children than used to happen when most could not afford them if they needed two hotel rooms. Caravans / Pontins / Butlins were the answer.