Airbnb's in Bristol - Increased by 4.1% in last 12 months

At the end of 2024 there were 2,368 Airbnb lets in Bristol.
By June 2025 this number had increased to 2,904 (+536 : +22.6%)
By June 2026 this number had increased to 3,023 (+119 : +4.1%)

See Also: Bristol Airbnb grows by 23% in 6 months (Published Sep 2025)

In the past 12 months Airbnb lets in the City of Bristol have increased by 4.1%, which is lower than the previous years increase of 22.6%

Room Types

2,156 (71%) of the 3,023 Airbnb lets are entire homes/apartments. These are properties that could possibly be available to rent to local residents if they weren't holiday lets.

Wards

This table shows the numbers of "Entire home/apt" lets in Bristol. The table is ordered by Airbnb Density.

The maps below show the approximate location of Airbnb Lets in the Wards with the highest Airbnb Density.

Note: Airbnb only provide the approximate location of the properties and do not provide the addresses. The exact location/address is only made available once a booker has made contact with the host.

Ward - Clifton

Ward - Clifton Down

Ward - Hotwells and Harbourside

Ward - Ashley

Ward - Cotham

Ward - Southville

You can explore the maps and data yourself on BU Reports (look for Airbnb button).

Parking

We all know about the parking challenges in Bristol, but how do Airbnb Lets impact Bristol parking?

1,275 (42%) of the 3,023 Lets offer some form of free on-premise parking.

1,068 (35%) of Lets list an amenity of "Free On Street Parking".

But when you look at the locations offering "Free On Street Parking" you find that 189 of these properties are in Controlled/Residents Parking Zones. This could only be offered if the Host used visitors parking permits.

Should visitor parking permits be used to provide a business service?

Centrally located 1 bed flat on trendy North St

There is street parking available close by and we can arrange a parking permit for this.

Stylish Southville Flat

If you’re bringing a car we may be able to arrange an on street parking permit for the street of the flat. Please message us to check if this is possible. If not, free parking is available a few streets away.

Health and Art in Comfort in Central Bristol

Free off street parking is available on request and free visitor parking permit can be arranged by prior arrangement for additional cars.

Some of the listings do explain that the "Free On Street Parking" is actually limited to the hours outside of the zone's operating period.

4th floor contemporary apartment

Visitors' parking permits are for the whole of the Kingsdown (KN) area. The scheme operates from Monday to Friday 9 - 5. On Saturdays and Sundays there are no restrictions on parking other than the usual prohibitions (eg yellow lines).

But there are also listings that offer "Free On Street Parking" but do not mention that a parking scheme is in place for most of the time.

Trendy Southville terrace house

Clifton House

Fire Safety

Avon Fire and Rescue : Hotels, B&Bs and Holiday Lets

By law, there must be at least one smoke alarm installed on every floor of the property and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance, such as a coal fire or wood burning stove.

Airbnb: Fire safety tips for hosts

Fire safety law requires you to conduct a risk assessment and ensure your property has reasonable fire safety measures in place. Working smoke alarms help to make your space safe and provide valuable time to escape a fire. There is a need for interlinked domestic smoke alarms and heat alarms in all areas where a fire might start - such as hallways, corridors, staircases, lounges, dining rooms and bedrooms.

Carbon monoxide can be caused by poorly installed or maintained appliances, and this clear, odourless, and toxic gas can be hard to detect without an alarm. It is a legal requirement to install carbon monoxide detectors in any room with a solid fuel burner and ensure your gas appliances are serviced once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you have a wood or coal burning stove, make sure the chimneys are swept twice a year.

Smoke Alarms

173 of Bristol Airbnb Lets do not have a smoke alarm installed (according to their amenity list).

Should Avon Fire and Rescue inspect these properties?

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

782 of Bristol Airbnb Lets do not have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm installed (according to their amenity list).

A Carbon Monoxide Alarm is required in any room with a solid fuel burner.

Cozy Boho Bristol House

Cozy single room in a bright, crystal-filled home with high ceilings, a log burner & healing energy.

St Andrews park view

The ground floor boasts a big kitchen diner and a big old table,next to a log burner.

What a view too!

Bright, comfortable room Bishopston, Free Parking

Airbnb are currently being sued in cases where people have died from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Airbnb Lets that did not have Carbon Monoxide Alarms. Airbnb have argued that this is not their responsibility as they do not control the properties concerned.

Airbnb know where properties are listed as having Indoor Fireplaces where a Carbon Monoxide Alarm is not listed. They are perfectly capable of blocking properties where a host clearly does not meet the fire safety regulations in the UK.

Introductory Tenancy Agreement:

Secure Tenancy Agreement:

This means that tenants with an Introductory Tenancy Agreement (usually for the first 12 months) cannot use the property for holiday lets. Tenants with a Secure Tenancy Agreement can use the property for holiday lets if they have written consent from Bristol City Council.

The illegal sub-letting of social housing is a UK wide issue and recent developments allow Councils to more easily identify illegal sub-letters.

From "Social housing fraud to be tackled under industry-first government partnership with Airbnb" - 08/07/2026

People illegally subletting social housing will be identified and may be removed from the property, following a new, innovative data-sharing partnership between the Cabinet Office and Airbnb.

Under the programme, local authorities across London, as well as Edinburgh City Council, Birmingham City Council and Anglesey Council will work with Airbnb and listings confirmed as operating without permission will be removed.

It is estimated that 5,800 social homes are suspected of being illegally sublet on short-term rental platforms in England, with each case of tenancy fraud costing taxpayers an estimated £78,300. While this is a challenge across the short-term rental sector, over 450,000 properties will be covered by the data-sharing partnership between Airbnb and the participating local authorities.

Bristol City Council do not appear to be in the data sharing programme at this time.

Airbnb data identifies illegal social home sublets (BBC - 8 Jul 2026)

David Harvey from Westminster City Council said the authority believes 3,000 of the borough's 13,000 Airbnb listings are illegally sublet, some of which could be identified as social homes.

He said all council tenancy and lease agreements prohibit short-term letting, and added that Westminster had 7,500 households on its waiting list for social housing.

"We want to free up those Airbnbs to be social homes again," he said.

Harvey described the new data-sharing arrangement as "just the tip of the iceberg", and council officers had to "play detectives" by searching for lock boxes and speaking to neighbours to uncover suspected fraud.

I have compared the Bristol Airbnb location data (approximate) with Bristol Council House location data and identified 15 properties where the locations from both data sets are less than 3 metres apart. This does not mean these properties are being illegally sub-let because Airbnb does not provide addresses for their lets which means I cannot confirm that the locations relate to the same property. If BCC take advantage of the Airbnb data sharing programme, they could accurately identify and social housing properties being illegally sub-let on Airbnb.