Propertymark is on the warpath to get equal treatment for Airbnb-style short lets and the mainstream private rental market.

The demand comes as official figures show that over 100m guest nights were spent in UK short-term lets during 2025.

Government data shows that 100.9m guest nights were recorded – an 11.5% increase compared with the previous year.

Wales recorded the strongest growth of any UK nation, up 17.4% to 7.37m in 2025. 

England saw an increase of 11.1%, while Scotland recorded growth of 10.9% and Northern Ireland 10.8%.

The North East of England was the region with the fastest growth – guest nights increased 22.2% compared with 2024 – while predictably August was the busiest month for short-lets across the UK, with 14% of the annual total.

Now Propertymark wants this extensive data to help its campaign for fair treatment for the private rental sector, which currently has far more extensive regulation than Airbnb-style short lets. 

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, says: “The latest data highlights the continued growth of short-term lets but also reinforces concerns about the impact they can have on the supply of homes available in the private rented sector.

“While short-term lets support tourism and local economies, an increasing number of properties being diverted from long-term rental use can reduce housing availability and place further pressure on affordability, particularly in high-demand areas.

“These figures demonstrate the need for local authorities to have access to robust data and appropriate powers to address imbalances where short-term lets are affecting housing supply.

“Propertymark continues to call for greater parity between the short-term lets sector and the private rented sector, ensuring communities can benefit from tourism without compromising access to homes for local residents.”