New figures reveal the rapid expansion of 'Airbnb-next-the-Sea', as growing numbers of landlords on the Norfolk coast turn to the online portal to rent out their properties.
Campaigners fear the sharp rise is fuelling a housing crisis in parts of the county, where homes which could be occupied by local families are turned into far more lucrative holiday lets.
Around half of the properties in some villages on the north Norfolk coast are now holiday rentals, and some areas have been dubbed Airbnb-next-the-Sea, because of the impact the phenomenon is having locally.
Figures from industry analyst AirDNA show the number of homes listed on Airbnb and fellow platform Vrbo increased from 2,549 to 3,382 between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period this year.
Some 92pc of the total - 2,600 properties - were 'entire home rentals', with most being one, two or three bed homes.
Along the area of coastline between King's Lynn and the Burnhams, which includes Snettisham, Heacham, Hunstanton and Brancaster, lets have increased from 947 to 1,299 over the last three years, with a similar percentage of entire home rentals.
Around Great Yarmouth, the number has increased from 810 to 1,228, with 89pc or 959 properties entire homes.
Similar trends have been seen across Norfolk, with the number of properties offered for short-term lets increasing from 6,313 to 9,034, with 87pc - or 6,624 - of them entire homes, according to AirDNA.
Chris Bailey, national campaign manager for lobby group Action on Empty Homes, said: "Councils need improved powers to prevent properties being switched from primary residential use to short let or second home status and used as Airbnbs rather than as homes.
"This depletes housing stock and allows investors to outbid local buyers on average incomes pushing up both purchase and rental prices.
"It's time the government allowed councils to take back control of local housing, instead of allowing it to become just another asset in a globalising property market, where both newbuild and existing homes are frequently purchased by those who have no intention of living in them."
The new data comes as the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) warned that booming numbers of holiday lets were "strangling" rural communities and "crippling the residential rentals market".
"The 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," it said.
"The worsening housing crisis – which is particularly acute in rural areas – has seen thousands of families added to social housing waiting lists."
Airbnb said in a statement: “The typical UK host rents their own home for just a couple of nights a month to boost their income, and over a third say the additional income helps them afford rising living costs.
"Airbnb recognises the historic housing and tourism challenges facing the UK and welcomes new rules that support local families and local communities. We continue to support the UK government's consultation on the matter.”
Airbnb said it supported a tourism accommodation registration scheme being proposed by the government, which says it needs more evidence before deciding what needs to be done.
It added: "The Tourism Accommodation Registration Scheme proposed by the government and backed by Airbnb would provide accurate data on the whole sector including the number, type and concentration of short-term lets across the country and their impact within specific communities.
"Data captured by the register would enable local authorities to identify and take action towards bad actors and inform planning and taxation decisions around local housing.
"Airbnb looks forward to supporting the UK government’s review and to working together with everyone on rules that unlock the benefits of hosting for regular people while clamping down on speculators and big businesses that drive housing concerns and over-tourism."
Chris Bailey said: "This is an essentially toothless proposal, with the consultation appearing to have been designed for the government by Airbnb itself, which supports licensing but not limits on numbers or local controls."
'THINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND' IN COASTAL TOWN
In Wells on the north Norfolk coast, the average house now sells for £557,000, while the average household income is £38,000.
Housing co-operative Homes for Wells operates 31 properties with affordable rents for locals, with a further 36 families on its waiting list.
Some 387 of the 1,563 properties registered for council tax in Wells are second homes and 244 are holiday lets, totalling 36pc of the town's housing.
A draft neighbourhood plan, which stipulates any new properties must be used as permanent residences, will go before a local referendum next year.
Wells town councillor Roger Arguile chairs the neighbourhood plan group which drew up the document.
"Things are getting out of hand because they're under the radar," he said. "What's more, it's plain from our evidence that there are people who are tipping tenants out of their houses and going over to holiday lets."
Earlier this month, North Norfolk District Council's cabinet agreed to double the council tax on second homes.
It also agreed the council should make representations to government that all second homes and holiday lets should require planning permission.
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