AS more and more tourists and staycationers flock to Cumbria, more and more holiday lets keep popping up – and whilst it’s a strong earner for those fortunate enough, it presents an ominous issue for those native to the region.

Holiday lets outnumber homes to rent in Cumbria by over 36 to one, new figures show.  

Sector analysts, AirDNA’s figures show that there are currently 8,111 active holiday rentals in Cumbria, either through the platforms of Airbnb or Vrbo.

Of these 8,111 rentals, 7,017 are made up of entire properties with 1,085 being offered in the form of private rooms.

When comparing these figures to the UK’s leading property site, Rightmove, for property to rent across Cumbria, it shows that there are only 223 properties available.

And when considering houses for sale, only 2,460 are on the market within the region – making up around 3 holiday homes for each house up for sale.

READ MORE: Businesses in Cumbrian towns like Keswick suffering through a labour shortage

The analysts also indicate that the average daily rate for a room in Cumbria stands at around £140 per night – with the occupancy rate for holiday homes falling to as little as 61 per cent come January.

With the tourism industry booming but with so few places to live, it has meant businesses within popular tourist towns such as Keswick are unable to bring in enough staff to cope with the increasing pressure - and some of the staff they do have, many have to travel from far and wide. 

Allerdale currently has 446 active holiday rentals and only 35 properties to rent. 

Tim Farron MP and Westmorland, Furness and Eden has said the figures are "shocking" and we must act now before it’s too late.

"These shocking stats reveal the scale of the housing crisis we face here in Cumbria.

"Of course holiday lets are great for the local economy of somewhere like the Lakes or the Dales but we’ve now reached the point where tourism businesses are unable to recruit the staff they need because there aren’t enough places for people to live.

"This is happening in rural areas right across our country.

"Tomorrow, I will be putting forward an amendment to the Government’s Levelling Up Bill which would give local authorities the power to limit the number of new second homes and holiday lets.

"We desperately need to take action right now or run the risk of our communities being irreversibly turned into ghost towns," he said.

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