Short Let Subletting companies may be in trouble?

The amount of cold calls that we have received since December 2024 from professional subletting companies has risen exponentially and I wonder what is in the water? I have read articles of private equity firms continuing to enter the space and to produce high quality short let accommodation and/or to get involved in Air BnB management companies. However, there remains a high quantity of DIY, from small independents to larger independents that are in the space. They seem to be competing presently over a lack of supply.

We don't deal with professional subletting companies. These are companies that rent the Landlord's unit and then rent it on themselves as a short let for a profit. Regardless of the sophistication of the sales pitch, they are most likely at some point going to use Booking and Air BnB for their occupations. Risky stuff. Landlord's lose control of their property. We have heard the stories. COVID certainly revealed this business model's volatility (No tourism = no short lets = Landlords don't get paid).

Nevertheless, the sector has either become more competitive/popular; Landlord's are less interested; or...potentially an early sign/tit bit of something brewing in the economy.