EDITOR'S COMMENT
• New York City. Paris. Edinburgh. Florence. Melbourne. Penang. The list of destinations around the world cracking down on short-term rentals goes on, while the restrictions themselves are becoming stricter and more far-reaching than ever before, despite the dissenting voices and protests from industry advocates.
Much of the frustration from this situation is due to the way in which legislation is being implemented inconsistently on a national and global scale, as well as the way in which the legislative bodies are seemingly regulating without being fully informed about the benefits the sector provides. Restrictions have ranged from annual caps to registration schemes and outright bans - while there is no standardised global regulatory guidebook as such to follow, it is salient to highlight how each market has its own unique housing issues and it is not always helpful to benchmark vastly different individual markets against each other.
It has never been such an important time for politicians to effectively consult with STR industry leaders and enact fair, balanced and sustainable legislation that suits all parties.
A prime example of a market where STR leaders' warnings are not being heeded by a government is Scotland. After months of back and forth consulting on a potential licensing scheme and numerous delays, calls from accommodation providers to delay the scheme beyond a 1 October deadline have now been denied in parliament by the Scottish National Party [SNP]. The rushed-through legislation is set to result in a detrimental effect on the Scottish tourism economy [up to 80 per cent of STRs may be delisted in Edinburgh alone].
The first STRz webinar of our new series [tomorrow at 4pm BST] will provide a round table platform for four industry advocates to lay out the challenges the sector is facing, their visions for the future, and ultimately why your industry needs you. Join Steve Milo [VTrips], Viktorija Molnar [EHHA], Ben Edgar-Spier [Sykes Holiday Cottages], Keiran Craig-Jones [STAAA] and I by registering for the no-cost session here.
'Creating smarter regulation for everyone' will also be a headline session at the upcoming inaugural STRz Summit in London on Wednesday 18 October - get your tickets now here.
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