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Month: January 2022

Short-Term Let Licensing Announcement Media Coverage

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

Highland Council to establish short term lets licensing scheme in 2022

Glasgow Live, Glasgow Airbnb owners to require licenses to rent out their properties in future, 20/01/22

Insider, Licencing scheme for Airbnb-style rents passed by Holyrood, 20.02.22

BBC, New rules passed for short-term lets in Scotland, 19/01/22

STV, Holyrood backs introduction of licencing scheme for short-term lets, 19/01/22

Herald, SNP’s Airbnb crackdown plans approved despite last-ditch attempt to water them down, 19/01/22

Scottish Government, Short-term lets legislation approved, 19/01/22

Daily Business, Short term lets licensing plan to go ahead, 19/01/22

Press and Journal, Licencing scheme for Airbnb-style rents passed by Holyrood, 19/01/22

Scottish Housing News, Local authorities to set up licensing schemes after short-term lets legislation approved, 19/01/22

National (Scotland), Holyrood votes to bring in licences for Airbnb-style lets in Scotland, 19/01/22

National (Wales), Holyrood to bring in licences for Airbnb-style lets in Scotland, 19/01/22

Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, Highland Council to set up short-term let licensing schemes, 20.1.22

Short Term Rentalz, MSPs approve short-term let licensing scheme in Scotland, 20.1.22

Letting Agent Today, Short let units should switch to mainstream rentals, says agent, 24/01/22

Strathspey Herald, Highlands MSP claims licensing scheme for short-term lets will damage tourism sector, 22/01/22

Scotsman, Set-back on rural short-term lets, 22/01/22

Edinburgh Reporter, Edinburgh in position to begin regulating short term lets, 22/01/22

Edinburgh Live, Edinburgh in “strong position” to start Airbnb crackdown, council leader says, 21/01/22

Ross-shire Journal, Highland Council to set up short-term let licensing schemes as controversial Scottish Government legislation set to be rolled out, 21/01/22

Record, Owners of AirBnB-style lets in Falkirk now required to ensure electrical safety, 21/01/22

Holyrood, Local authorities set to increase control over short-term lets, 21/01/22

National, Glasgow sees biggest rise in room rents in UK as prices balloon, 20/01/22

Northern Times, Highland Council to set up short-term let licensing schemes, 20/01/22

Property Industry Eye, Savills concerned about new ‘one size fits all’ short-term let licensing scheme, 25/01/22

STV, Edinburgh in ‘strong position to start Airbnb crackdown’, 24/01/22

Scotsman, Short-term lets in Scotland: How the Scottish government has sought to strike a balance between tourism and tackling the problems – Shona Robison MSP, 24/01/22

Northern Scot, New and controversal short term let licensing rules attacked by opposition MPs and industry bodies, 24/01/22

Letting Agent Today, Short let units should switch to mainstream rentals, says agent, 24/01/22

In Your Area, New housing regulations slammed as “ignorant to the needs of area” by landlords, 24/01/22

National, Here’s how much money short-term holiday lets are making in Scotland, 23/01/22

Northern Times, AirBnB-style short-term let operators will have to get a license from April of next year after the Scottish Parliament approved new legislation in a bid to tackle noise, antisocial behaviour and the impact on the supply of housing in some areas, 30/01/22

Ross-Shire Journal, Short-term let properties in Highland will need a licence under Scottish Government rules which are welcomed by MSP Emma Roddick as ‘a first step’, 29/01/22

Courier, New licensing laws ‘insulting’, say Perthshire holiday home owners, 28/01/22

ITV Border, Calls to tackle housing crisis and holiday lets in Keswick, 28/01/22

Record, Dumfries and Galloway holiday accommodation providers fear new legislation is “a sledgehammer to crack quite a small nut”, 28/01/22

Farming UK, Scotland’s new short term lets rules ‘a setback’ for rural firms, 02/02/22

Scottish Farmer, Rural businesses set to suffer under short-term licensing scheme, 02/02/22

Agriland, Scottish short-term lets legislation a ‘setback’ to rural businesses, 02/02/22

Scotland on Sunday, ‘Height of hypocrisy’ as Scottish ministers spend £40,000 on Airbnbs, 13/02/22

Times, Ministers refuse to explain their £40,000 Airbnb bill, 14/02/22

Herald, Scotland Airbnb row as SNP ministers spend £40,000 on accommodation, 13/02/22

WHFP, LEGISLATION HEADACHE: Councils face ‘damage limitation’ on new short term lets licences, 15/02/22

Breakdown of the Short-Term Let Licensing Vote

Posted on by Melanie Allen
Licensing Vote (68 in support – 53 against)
Here is the breakdown of the votes on the STL licensing and planning regulations in Scottish Parliament on 19th January 2022: https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=13525

Votes For Licensing:

Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)
Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
Allan, Dr Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP)
Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)
Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)
Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)
Don, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green)
Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)
Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)
Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)
Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)
McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP)
McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP)
McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (SNP)
Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP)
Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green)
Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP)
Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP)
Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)
Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP)
Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)
Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)
Yousaf,,Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP)

Against:

Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con)
Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab)
Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab)
Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con)
Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con)
Cameron, Donald (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con)
Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab)
Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab)
Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con)
Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab)
Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con)
Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con)
Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con)
Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con)
Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con)
Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con)
Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con)
Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lockhart, Dean (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab)
McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD)
McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab)
Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab)
Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD)
Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con)
Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab)
Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab)
Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con)
White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con)
Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)
Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD).

We understand that Fergus Ewing (Inverness & Nairn) (SNP) attempted to lodge a point of order where he would note his vote against, however there were technical difficulties during the session which prevented his vote being registered.

ASSC Response to MSPs Backing Short-Term Let Licensing – A Personal Note from Our CEO

Posted on by Melanie Allen

It is with considerable regret that I have to announce that MSPs have today chosen to endorse the Scottish Government’s short-term let licensing scheme during the final vote in the Scottish Parliament, despite the strength of opposition to the move from tourism, business, legal, and local authority stakeholders.

The ASSC have always sought a collaborative and cross-party approach to short-term let regulation. While disappointed that we were not able to persuade SNP and Scottish Green MSPs, we are very grateful for the support of Scottish Conservative, Scottish Labour and Scottish Lib Dem MSPs who voted against short-term let licensing to protect our sector, as well as the shrewd and informed interventions from former Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing MSP who backed Scottish tourism by speaking out against these “arbitrary, irrational, and draconian” regulations.

To all of our members who have taken the time to respond to the three separate short-term let consultations, provided written evidence to parliamentary committees, as well as contacting local MSPs, I offer a heartfelt thank you. Your efforts were deeply appreciated by the ASSC, just as your continued hard work and dedication to our sector is appreciated by your guests. Sadly, this sense of appreciation has not been shared by those making decisions about your livelihood. Instead, MSPs have agreed to a piece of legislation that remains unfit for purpose, lacks an evidence base and was more often than not based on groundless fears, anecdote and hearsay. The sector has been used as a convenient scapegoat for wider policy failures by government, especially on housing.

Looking back over the piece, it has been a long journey since the regulatory discussion ramped up around five years ago when the Scottish Government began to examine the issue through their Expert Panel on the Collaborative Economy. Throughout that period, the ASSC has been proactive and constructive in its relationship with government, offering up alternative solutions but challenging when necessary; and in more recent times, we worked tirelessly to try and persuade government that licensing was the wrong approach. All of this involved hundreds of meetings with Scottish Government Ministers and officials, MSPs, councillors, and industry stakeholders. It included the circulation of briefings and evidence-based reports, not to mention attendance at endless workshops and working groups, as well as near constant press activity.

We weren’t alone in opposing bad regulation: we had the support of nearly all of the tourism industry (with some notable exceptions) as well as the small business community. We even developed our own policy recommendations – a mandatory registration scheme with health and safety provisions – as well as an exemption policy. These were, however, casually dismissed by government.

However, if it wasn’t for our collective efforts, the regulations could have been passed a lot sooner and been far more damaging. The numbers have always been there in the previous and current session for this to happen. Our work has not been in vain. With the regulations passed by MSPs, we must now reflect what this means for the sector. The Scottish Government have revealed that there will be a review of licensing in summer 2023, and while the precise details of this remain unclear, we will of course be putting our views forward to help protect self-catering and mitigate the worst effects of this damaging legislation.

This has not been the most auspicious of starts to the new year but the ASSC are determined to keep fighting on this issue and others of great importance to our sector in the weeks ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Fiona Campbell, CEO, the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers.