THE City of Edinburgh Council is seeking views on proposals which would see residential property owners have to apply for planning permission for a change use if they wish to wholly let a property – which isn’t their principal home – as a short term let.
It comes following the Scottish Government approving legislation earlier this year which will require all hosts and operators to apply for a short term lets licence, with the local authority saying the legislation will address issues of safety, anti-social behaviour, and noise.
The council has now launched a consultation to ask what additional measures should be introduced in the licensing scheme for Edinburgh, with it including questions on what kind of properties are suitable for short term lets.
Furthermore, the local authority has asked the Scottish Government that it makes the entirety of the city a designated short term let control area. It said that, if approved, it would mean that residential property owners wholly letting a property as an short term let, which is not their principal home, will need to apply for planning permission for a ‘change of use’.
Paul Lawrence, executive director place at the City of Edinburgh Council, said, “We’re delighted the licensing legislation we called for has been approved and we’re now at the stage of developing a scheme which is right for the people of Edinburgh. Around a third of all short term lets in Scotland are in the capital and so issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise are having a detrimental effect on many of our communities.
“Licences will give us greater control over the impact of these issues as well as the overall effect the increasing number of short term lets is having on our housing supply.
“One of the government’s mandatory measures to obtain a licence for your short term let is making sure the applicant has the right planning permission in place before a licence is granted. This will help to stop homes being taken out of residential use or being let out when they are unsuitable or unsafe.
“I’d encourage everyone to have their say on this important issue for the city.”
The consultation can be found here.
