My research aims to provide evidence on the barriers and drivers specific to decarbonising holiday short-term lettings, highlighting the need for bespoke approaches that reflect this sector as it continues to grow.
Short-term lettings (STLs) have become an increasingly important feature of the UK tourism, especially in popular destinations. Their rapid growth, driven by the emergence of online platforms and shifting travel preferences, has brought economic opportunities but also significant challenges for communities, impacting on the amount and cost of locally available housing. They also pose a unique challenge in decarbonising housing stock as they are currently unregulated.
The UK faces a pressing challenge in decarbonising its domestic buildings, which are among the oldest and least energy efficient in Europe. Residential buildings account for around 20% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, with space and water heating from fossil fuels making up most of these emissions. Decarbonising homes with energy efficiency measures and low-carbon heating technologies, such as heat pumps, is therefore critical. Yet, the rise of STLs adds a new layer of complexity to this task. In many tourist hotspots, STLs are concentrated in older, less efficient properties located in town centres, making them “harder to decarbonise”.
The seasonal nature of tourism means that these properties can be heavily occupied during peak months, placing additional strain on local infrastructure and energy systems, while remaining empty in the off-season, which complicates energy demand management and retrofit planning.
One of the core issues is that policy and regulation have not kept pace with the rapid expansion of the STL sector. There is considerable ambiguity in how STLs are defined and regulated, resulting in gaps in both oversight and support for energy efficiency improvements. While traditional private rented sector (PRS) properties are subject to minimum energy efficiency standards, STLs often fall through the cracks, missing out on decarbonisation incentives and facing fewer requirements to upgrade their energy performance.
Despite the rapid expansion of the STL sector, there is a lack of research and policy focus on how these properties contribute to or hinder local and national decarbonisation efforts. This gap is significant because areas with a high concentration of STLs-such as coastal towns and national parks-may face unique barriers to energy reduction and require tailored, place-based solutions. By focusing on Whitstable as a case study, this research aims to provide much-needed evidence on the intersection between short-term lettings, energy reduction and the policy landscape.
