Edinburgh’s councillors back plans to control short-term lets in capital

Edinburgh’s councillors have backed proposals to make landlords letting out Airbnb-style properties in the capital apply for planning permission.

A third of all short-term lets in Scotland are in Edinburgh, and if Holyrood backs the city council’s proposals to make the capital a short-term let (STL) control area, people renting out properties they don’t usually live in will need to apply for a “change of use”.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s planning committee unanimously backed the plans on Wednesday, which convener Neil Gardiner hailed as “great news for people across the city”.

The proposals will not amount to a blanket ban on all STLs, instead they will mean “change of use” applications will be considered by the council’s planning department.

A consultation on the plans found 85% of respondents are in favour of the control zone covering the whole council area.

The Scottish Government will now need to agree with the city council, which said the new rules would not block people from renting out rooms or their whole house while on holiday.

Mr Gardiner said: “If approved by Government, these new powers for Edinburgh will provide the clarity we need where planning permission is required for a change of use.

“Just now, if it’s reported to us that a property has changed its use without planning permission, our enforcement team has to look at each case individually.

“This is a very lengthy and time consuming process.”

Last week, when the council announced it would be holding the vote on Wednesday, Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), described the scheme as “restrictive and anti-business”.

“The real problem Edinburgh has is a lack of house building, but our local authority has chosen to pick on an easy scapegoat rather than address the real and difficult issue,” she said.