The
Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK (PASC UK) has published a landmark report on the economic contribution and housing impact of dedicated holiday lets in England and Wales. The findings strongly align with the
independent BiGGAR Economics report for the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), published in December 2024.
Taken together, the evidence across the UK is clear:
- Holiday lets are a tiny proportion of housing – representing 0.6% of homes in England & Wales and 1% of dwellings in Scotland, far lower than vacant housing stock.
- They deliver substantial economic value – generating £6.6bn GVA and 139,000 jobs in England & Wales, and £864m GVA and 29,000 jobs in Scotland.
- No link to housing unaffordability – both reports find no causal relationship between holiday lets and rising house prices or rents; wider housing supply and demographic trends are the drivers.
- Vital rural support – holiday lets underpin jobs, businesses, and sustainable domestic tourism in areas where alternative employment is limited.
- Data matters – both studies caution against policy based on misleading or conflated figures, such as treating all “Airbnb listings” as equivalent to homes.
Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers said:
“Our independent report, published in December 2024, demonstrated the true scale and value of Scotland’s short-term let sector. This welcome new data from England and Wales absolutely correlates with the Scottish findings.
Across the UK, the evidence is consistent: holiday lets make up a fraction of housing stock but deliver enormous economic and community benefits. It is essential that policy decisions are guided by this robust, independent analysis rather than by misconceptions. Together, these reports provide a united and compelling UK-wide picture – one that must be heard in the national debate.”