Airbnb faces three-month rental limit in Edinburgh
LANDLORDS in Edinburgh will be banned from renting out their flats for longer than three months through online rental firms such as Airbnb as part of moves to preserve the “unique” character of the city.
The move comes after the listings for the company behind the marketplace for shortterm rentals, which cuts out rental agencies and can undercut hotels , swelled to more than 9,000 in Edinburgh last year.
Airbnb has now provided the Scottish Government with the first series of proposals of its kind in the world designed to improve the short-term rental sector in Edinburgh based on the need to find a balance between serving tourists and keeping residents in the city happy.
Key proposals include a limit on lets in the city centre to 90 nights per year, excluding the festivals and the festive period, as well as implementing a complaint reporting process for Airbnb and other such firms.
While residents in the city have been capitalising on demand for accommodation during the festivals for decades, with some vacating their family home every August and handing it over to short-term tenants, more people are making money from their spare rooms or renting out their entire homes using the Airbnb.
The average price in Edinburgh is £129 a night, typically bringing owners around £3,600 a year by hosting guests 38 nights of the year, and demand is said to be so high that only five per cent of their listings are still available during the festival.
Some people have raised concerns that Airbnb is unregulated and is ruining the city for residents who find themselves living next to an ongoing stream of visitors.
The city’s hoteliers also have voiced concerns over the impact on the sector and Willie Macleod, of the British Hospitality Association, said: “While we are not afraid of competition, what we are concerned about is the unregulated nature of Airbnb and similar organisations, and their lack of transparency.”
An Airbnb spokesperson said: “We always welcome discussions on clear home sharing rules and are pleased that Scotland is taking steps to support local families.”