THE SNP pledges to turn Airbnb-style short-term rental properties into residential use if the party remains in power in the capital.
A clear commitment will require new and existing short-term rental operators to apply for formal planning permission from the city council if they want to proceed.
Approval will only be granted in “exceptional circumstances”, as per the plans.
At its peak, more than 10,000 Edinburgh properties were listed on internet platforms like Airbnb, creating a major drain on the city’s housing stock and contributing to a homelessness crisis.
The first step in the crackdown is to complete the process of obtaining control area status from the Scottish Government, which specifies that all holiday rental properties must apply for and obtain planning permission, including retrospectively – including all conversions of a home to a vacation rental that have taken place within the last 10 years.
The plan will specify that the conversion of dwellings to other uses will be treated the same as demolition. Authorization will only be granted in “exceptional” cases.
Holiday rentals that do not involve a transformation of the entire property will be excluded and will continue as at present, including the rental of guest rooms or the temporary rental of a main residence, in particular during the summer festival season.
Adam McVey, SNP Leader on Edinburgh City Council, said: “Housing is in high demand in Edinburgh because so many people want to live and work in our amazing city. We just can’t go on with thousands of properties that were built like homes and are run like hotels.
“We need to return these residences to housing for residents so that people in the city have affordable housing.
“In city centers in particular, the concentration of vacation rentals converted from apartments has created a local housing shortage and is driving up rents. Many Edinburgh residents have also experienced constant noise pollution, severe disruption and disruption from having to share a staircase with properties that were never intended to be operated as visitor accommodation.”
He added: “Websites that started out as a perfectly reasonable way to make money by renting out a spare room are increasingly being used by big investors to buy entire residential homes and market them to tourists, all year round. Meanwhile, the hotel and bed and breakfast sector has suffered as it has been undermined by rivals who have operated without authorization and without the same requirement for security checks.
“Conservative advisers oppose the action plans. Voters should know that the best way to act on this is to vote for SNP councilors and stop the Tories from ripping up our hard-earned progress.
“We want a downtown where people can live and this is an achievable plan that will turn thousands of properties into homes again.”
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