We used to have enough, and then in the late 70s, early 80s they decided that if they didn't build enough, then they could make housing scarce and therefore more valuable. A big long-con, 40 years in the making.

Housebuilders would make more profit per home. Homeowners would have more wealth (even if they can't access it). Inheritance taxes could take more of a bite. Landlords could charge more. Retirements could be funded entirely by buying 2-3 houses and renting them out, and then cash in later on the full value of those homes when they'd gone up by double the interest rates.

They don't have to be amazing homes. They don't need an acre of land to sit on. They don't need three bedrooms. Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room. Affordable on a quarter of a single person's minimum wage income.

[–] Pofski@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (3 children)

you just have to make sure that the new houses aren t bought by landlords...

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 13 points 1 day ago (4 children)

You have to realise that landlords aren't the plague. They're the buboes. A symptom.

If you can take your spare money (a concept from days gone by, I know), buy a house for X, rent it out for Y a month, then finally sell it in 20 years for Z, and be 99.99% guaranteed to make more money from it than you can from pretty much any other source, then why wouldn't you?

Remove the incentive for that (homes that don't go up by more than the inflation rate), there will be no need for them to exist.

But in any case, the size of the building projects required would likely be government level anyway, and they can be the "landlord" for anyone not wanting to buy. This was called council houses in the olden days, before Maggie Thatcher killed that.

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[–] brsrklf@jlai.lu 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I know at least one city in France taking measures to severely limit Airbnb, because it's becoming a ghost town and people who actually work there can't find anywhere to live. The housing situation in the area is terrible.

Good for them. I already can't stand "professional" landlords that get into the business of shitting over places people need to live to maximise profit. Those who are taking over those spaces to turn them into fake hotels without the constraints are the lowest of that scum.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 4 points 23 hours ago

Governments let them do it.

I wonder why we pay taxes to people who actively work against common interests for the benefit of the few.

[–] rabber@lemmy.ca 216 points 1 day ago (20 children)

They banned airbnb in victoria bc last year and rent here has actually went down. From this one single change.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 61 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Reducing rent prices was the plan and to be honest, the obvious outcome when demand goes down.

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[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Was there tourism in Victoria and what happened to it after the ban? I'm not clever enough to predict what exactly the consequences might be, but I was always interested in what could happen from banning all short-term rental (although maybe that's not the case?)

[–] rabber@lemmy.ca 3 points 20 hours ago

It's our biggest tourism season in history this summer but that's thanks to Trump haha

Don't think it's had much effect because we've always had hotel capacity for the demand

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[–] fenrasulfr@lemmy.world 113 points 1 day ago (3 children)

From what I heard from my brother, he lives in Barcelona, they are banning bnbs and short term rentals. In order to combat this problem.

[–] Sagan@piefed.social 39 points 1 day ago (11 children)

For more details: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/07/22/the-end-of-airbnb-in-barcelona-what-does-the-tourism-industry-have-to-say

I live here (!barcelona@piefed.social), the mayor who announced the decision made it so that it would applied after the end of his tenure (that will end in 2027, the decision is supposed to happen in 2028)

The other issue is that even besides tourism, Barcelona is a very attractive city for Spanish people due to the work opportunities, and there is definitely a lack of supply for the housing market. Getting back the Airbnb would help with the mass tourism (which is an issue of its own), but the housing crisis might still be there for a while.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Weird way of asking for 5 stars, but ok. ^/s^

[–] buzz86us@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Airbnb used to be great.. I could rent out a spare room and make a bit of cash. Then the developers, and the people who weren't responsible enough to be landlords had to make houses that were all AirBnb.

Why don't these places vet Airbnbs instead of straight banning it. Owner occupied dwellings should get a pass.

[–] BlushedPotatoPlayers@sopuli.xyz 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I remember when it was about renting your place for a few days when you were traveling

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[–] Dorkyd68@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (50 children)

Air bnbs are a cancer. You should be ashamed of yourself if your buying property then renting it out. With what they charge they are able to pay tge mortgage in 3 nights

[–] CaptainBlagbird@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Source?

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