Catering bosses accuse Edinburgh councillors of making them 'scapegoats' for Airbnb

Edinburgh City Council blamed short term letting for a loss to residents' quality of life as it voted for a public consultation on the capital's tourism industry.

Since 2016, there has been a marked rise in short-term rental (STL) across Edinburgh, especially to Airbnb.

The current programme will affect only the city centre and Leith, where the most of the STLs are set, due to the concern that it might lead to a large concentration of STLs in adjacent areas.

As a result, the governing bodies of Edinburgh are proposing a municipal "control area" where landowners are obliged to get planning permission to operate an STL.

The final proposal will be sent to the Scottish Government who will also examine creating national standards for STLs.

Edinburgh City Council figures show that more than a third of Scotland's STL real estate is in the capital.

Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association Of Scotland 'Edinburgh Council's draft proposals for a short-term let control zone covering the entire city are wholly disproportionate and lack an empirical evidence base to substantiate claims that such accommodation has reduced housing stock.

According to PLACE, a grassroots network of Edinburgh residents who oppose short-term rentals, those staying in high-density areas face antisocial behaviours, increased rents and community collapse.