Capital’s councillors to be asked to approve control on short-term lets

EDINBURGH councillors are to be asked next week to approve a recommendation that the whole city becomes a ‘short-term let control area’, affecting the provision of, in the main, holiday lets.

Were the recommendation to be approved by, initially, Edinburgh councillors, and, thereafter, by the Scottish Government, it would mean whole properties being made available for short-term let would first require to have received permission from the city’s planning authorities.

Says the council, a consultation exercise conducted between September and November last year found 88 per cent of respondents supporting the creation of a ‘short-term let control area’ and 85 per cent agreeing it should cover the whole city.

Permission would be for ‘change of use’ and doesn’t apply to rooms within a home being occupied by the person providing the letting.

Says the council, here: “Around a third of short-term lets (STLs) in Scotland are in Edinburgh. At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time-consuming process.”

The announcement adds: “Generally, renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control area.

“The Scottish Parliament has approved legislation which will introduce a new licensing scheme, which the council also called for, which will come into effect later this year.

“It will address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.”

The recommendation – here – is being considered by councillors on the planning committee on Wednesday February 23.

Picture credit: Place Design Scotland