Our seaside town is being ruined by second-home owners — this is how we fight back
Angry locals living in a seaside town say it’s being ruined by second home owners – and now they’re fighting back.
Residents of Whitstable, Kent have joined forces to complain about the growing number of holiday rentals in the area.
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Angry locals say the decline in their community is due to the tourists that take over each summer.
Recent complaints include a lack of parking in the warmer months, insane amounts of trash, and all-night partying.
To counteract the crisis, homeowners have now listed all the problems caused by short-term rentals and submitted them to the municipality.
According to residents, the coastal town is feeling “hollow” and slowly dying.
This comes after holidaymakers reportedly drove people away as they flocked to the area.
Sophie Williams, 52, shared Kent Online She is regularly updated by reveling visitors.
She said: “I like to sit and read in my garden and her garden is set up beautifully for barbecues, so there are garden parties three times a week in the summer.”
“It’s disturbing and makes me not want to live there.”
Sophie added that she believes vacation home owners should pay council taxes.
Councilor Clare Turnbull says Canterbury City Council could lose nearly £500,000 in revenue because hundreds of holiday rentals are not registered for council tax or local business tax.
At a gathering, angry locals spoke of their “struggles,” as one person said, “People don’t care where they park — it’s cheaper to pay a fine than pay to park for a day.”
Another added: “There’s no sense of community anymore.”
The idyllic coastal town was recently dubbed “better than Miami”.
But residents said the comparison was “ridiculous.”
The surprising comment came from pornstar Mia Khalifa, who recently said she was “heartbroken” to leave the sunny British coast.
The 29-year-old adult star, who relaxed for two weeks in a £580-a-night beachfront AirBnb in October last year, said on her Instagram Story: “I’ve been to Whitstable for the last two weeks and it breaks me heart to go.”
Other famous faces who have visited Whitstable include Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and British model Kate Moss, according to locals.
Charlotte Gray, 46, who resided in Whitstable, said: “I also prefer Whitstable to Miami.”
“Whitstable is perfect because it has a lot of character and a lot of history.
“Miami isn’t my thing…Miami is perfect for sunny, American-style outdoor breaks, but otherwise it’s not for me.”
The marketing consultant said she could live in Whitstable but would never return to Miami.
She said, “I only went to Miami once for a wedding ten years ago and I wouldn’t go back.”
“But I love it here, there are pubs, live music and everything. It’s very crowded with tourists in summer, but I’m one of those tourists.”
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