FURIOUS 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 grouped together to complain about the growing number of holiday lets in the area.
The disgruntled locals say the decline in their community is because of tourists who take over every summer.
Recent complaints include a lack of parking during the warmer months, an insane amount of litter and all-night parties.
In a bid to tackle the the crisis, homeowners have now listed all of the problems caused by short-term rentals and presented it to the local authority.
The seaside town has been left feeling "hollowed out", according to residents, and is slowly dying.
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It comes after holidaymakers were said to be forcing people out as they piled into the area.
Sophie Williams, 52, told KentOnline she's regularly kept up by visitors partying.
She said: "I like to sit and read in my garden and their garden has been done up beautifully for barbecues so there are garden parties three times a week in the summer.
“It’s upsetting and makes me not want to live there."
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Sophie added that she thought holiday homeowners should be paying council tax.
Canterbury City Council could be missing out on almost £500,000 in revenue because hundreds of holiday lets aren't registered for council tax or business rates, according to ward councillor Clare Turnbull.
At a meeting 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 for a day’s parking."
Another added: "There is no longer a sense of community."
The idyllic coastal town was recently dubbed "better than Miami".
But residents said the comparison was "ridiculous".
The surprising comment was made by porn star Mia Khalifa, who recently said she was "heartbroken" to leave the sunny UK coastline.
The 29-year-old adult star, who spent a fortnight relaxing in £580 per night beach front AirBnb in October last year, said in her Instagram story: "Been in Whitstable the past two weeks and I'm heartbroken to leave."
Other famous faces that have visited Whitstable include Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul and British model Kate Moss, according to locals.
Charlotte Gray, 46, who was staying in Whitstable, said: "I prefer Whitstable to Miami too.
"Whitstable is perfect as it has tons of character and loads of history.
"Miami isn't my cup of tea… Miami is perfect for sunny outdoors, American-style breaks, but other than that it's not for me."
The marketing consultant said she could live in Whitstable but wouldn't ever go back to Miami.
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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, they have the pubs, live music and everything. It does get very busy in summer with tourists, but I am one of those tourists."
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