Airbnb-style short-term lets: Here's your chance to influence Scottish Government policy – Kevin Stewart

Short-term lets have much to offer everyone, providing accommodation for those on holiday or visiting other places. This is available to all of us fortunate enough to travel elsewhere, just as it is for tourists visiting Scotland’s many attractions.

Key safes are often a sign of Airbnb-style short-term let properties (Picture: Ian Rutherford)

However, we know that in tourist hotspots the increase in short lets has caused problems for local residents and made it harder for some to find homes to live in.

Therefore, in January I announced the Scottish Government’s proposal to regulate short-term lets, to provide local authorities with appropriate regulatory powers to balance the needs and concerns of their communities with wider economic and tourism interests.

Our consultation on the detail of those proposals closes on Friday, so if you would like to have your say on how we can make our proposals as efficient and effective as possible, I’d encourage you to do so.

The licensing scheme sets out mandatory safety standards which will apply for the benefit of guests and neighbours everywhere. Of course, many hosts will already be following these standards, to comply with existing law or as a matter of best practice.

We know from previous engagement last year that any regulation must be adaptable at a local level: what works in a city might not work in the Highlands. That’s why local authorities will be able to decide whether “short-term let control areas” are necessary – meaning planning permission will always be required if owners want to change the use of a whole property to a short-term let.

There is no doubt that coronavirus (Covid-19) has put great pressure on the tourism industry and highlighted the importance of safety to visitors and communities. We are doing everything we can with the limited powers available to us to support the sector, including a recent £1 million scheme giving eligible self-catering businesses a £10,000 grant.

Our proposals for regulation are part of ensuring a responsible and sustainable approach to tourism, to help build a thriving tourism sector that best suits the needs of everyone in Scotland.

Kevin Stewart is MSP for Aberdeen Central and minister for local government, housing and planning

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