Short-term letting has made quite a few headlines of late; some positive and some not so positive. There is a debate going on across Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh, as to their social and economic impact. While the ASSC welcomes rigorous debate on the efficacy of all sectors, its own included, it is vitally important that such debate take place in the context of proper evidence rather than have it surrounded by preconceived notions or, worst of all, flawed and faulty data arrived at through poor research methods.
It is this last part – the need for good, reliable, effective, and dependable data – that has spurred ASSC, as the leading source of knowledge on short-term letting and holiday homes in Scotland, to commission a new and exciting research study into what exactly makes up the Scottish short-term rental sector.
The ASSC, in conjunction with Frontline Consultants, will consult with stakeholders from across the industry and the public sector, including hosts, independent operators, local authorities, and agencies as part of its ambitious and far-reaching study. It will do this with a simple goal in mind; to bring together the fullest possible range of primary and secondary sources of evidence in order to make a real contribution to the policies and regulations that impact the sector.
In addition, the study will, upon its expected completion in February 2018, help support evidence-based policymaking as well as developing further the ASSC Code of Practice and improving the experiences of our users. Moreover, the study also aims to combat the negative impact of the current lack of sufficiently robust evidence, and its impact on policy decisions, that has led to a skewed perception of short-term letting among some stakeholders in Scotland.
The ASSC is clear – this study is about producing the kind of effective and concrete evidence that was called for by the Scottish Government and other MSPs in a recent debate in the Scottish Parliament because our sector, and everyone involved in it, deserves it.
This study is not just some naval-gazing exercise; it is about producing the kind of evidence that best informs good policy making rather than relying simply on anecdote and subjective opinion, or on ‘evidence’ derived from unreliable methods such as ‘data scraping’. The ASSC is dedicated to producing this kind of data and to using it to engage in a positive and constructive manner with ongoing debate in Scotland, in particular with the Scottish Expert Panel on the Collaborative Economy, whose findings the Scottish Government is expected to respond to in early 2018. It is this set of upcoming events that makes this study as timely as it is necessary.
The traditional self-catering sector is by no means insignificant. In total, it supports, as ASSC found out in a previous partnership with Frontline Consultants, 15,000 jobs in Scotland and attracts around £723million of consumer spending, £470million of which comes from visitors. With the traditional self-catering sector making such a large and consistent contribution to the Scottish economy and to our vital tourism and hospitality trade, it needs clear and correct policy and tailored and proportionate regulation. This can only be achieved with the most extensive, accurate, up-to-date, robust, and technically sound data available and that, in short, is the reason behind this new, exciting, and dynamic study.
The sector can’t wait for good data, and ASSC can’t wait to provide it.