New data has revealed that two boroughs in Greater Manchester are now among the top 10 Airbnb hotspots in the UK, with the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showing a recent rise in short-term rentals in certain parts of the country.
The town of Rochdale is now one of the top five rental hotspots in terms of speed of growth. The region reported an 89 percent increase in short-term rental listings on Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia Group in 2023. The number of short-term rental listings increased from 90 in January 2023 to 170 in December 2023 – the fourth largest increase in the UK.
The Trafford borough is also one of the UK’s top rental locations, coming in fifth place. The number of short-term rentals increased by 75 percent over the same period. The number of available short-term rental listings increased from 570 in January 2023 to 1,000 in December 2023.
READ MORE: This gadget lets you find out what the property prices are in all UK postcode areas
While the data shows that Rochdale and Trafford are among the areas with the largest increase in short-term rental properties, ONS figures show that Manchester and Salford still dominate the Airbnb market with the highest number of short-term rental listings available.
In 2023, the number of short-term rentals available on Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia increased from 3,670 in January to 4,760 in December, while listings in Salford increased from 1,470 in January to 2,090 in December.
The UK’s biggest increase in short-term rentals was in Hartlepool, with a 122 percent increase, closely followed by Blackburn, where the number of properties increased by 100 percent, and Tamworth, which also saw a 100 percent increase.
On the other hand, the Merseyside town of Crosby saw the largest decline in short-term rental availability in 2023, with a 17 percent drop. Several Scottish areas such as Glasgow (9.50 percent), Edinburgh (7.59 percent), Argyll and Bute (3.12 percent) and Aberdeen (2.92 percent) also saw a decline.
Paul Bullard, Product and Services Director at SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, commented: “New landlords entering the short-term lets market may be unaware of the strict regulations governing property maintenance, safety standards and tenant rights. Failure to comply with these rules can have a number of damaging consequences.
“In addition, landlords need to be aware that long-term cost management is more important than short-term savings when it comes to maintaining their properties. By effectively maintaining their rental properties, they extend their useful life and save a lot of money.”
Rochdale and Trafford councillors have been asked for comment.
