'Party flat' landlords face fines for bad tenants

MSPs yesterday approved new legislation designed to allow local authorities to take action against owners renting out their properties where antisocial behaviour is a persistent problem.

Housing minister Alex Neil told members of Holyrood's local government and communities committee that a public petition had made the Scottish Government aware of so-called "party flats" rented out in cities such as Edinburgh for events including stag and hen weekends.

He said the legislation, designed to clarify and improve the application of antisocial behaviour notices in relation to short-term lets, would make landlords the "culprits".

The Anti-Social Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) Order 2011, which was approved unanimously by the committee, will create an additional set of criteria where a local authority can issue an antisocial behaviour notice.

The property must be used for a holiday let on at least two occasions, and there must be two occasions of reported antisocial behaviour.

Landlords could be asked to take action to limit the number of people using the property at any one time, provide on-site supervision or make improvements to security. Failure to comply could result in a range of measures being taken, including ?a maximum fine of 5,000.

Mr Neil said: "Although we expect that this will allow the local authority to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour from party flats, we do not expect it to impose a burden on the vast majority of reputable owners of tourist accommodation."

Labour's Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, said: "There are several flats in my constituency alone where landlords basically rent out their flats with lots of beds, so you can be talking 15 to 20 who are all drunk and can be there for three days. It is massively disruptive."