STL Regulations Media Coverage

The following media has been generated as a result of the current proposals for short-term let licensing:

• Watch BBC’s The Nine
• Herald, SNP forced to delay final Airbnb crackdown plans over ‘competency’ fears, 07/09/21

• Ross-shire Journal, Licensing of short-term lets such as Airbnb accommodation would be ‘catastrophic’ for Highland economy claim groups amid anger over ‘one size fits all’ proposals, 20/08/21
• Herald, SNP facing legal threat over plans to crackdown on Airbnbs, 18/08/21

“In addition, we have identified, and will be seeking counsel’s opinion on the order in its present form being ultra vires of the powers under which it purports to be made.”

• FarmingUK, Short-term lets proposals ‘devastating’ for rural Scotland, 17/08/21

Under the proposals, local authorities would be able to decide whether a short-term let was suitable based on density, residential amenity and housing shortages in the area.

• Helensburgh Advertiser, Pam Gosal MSP: Plans to regulate short-term letting will tie businesses in red tape, 17/08/21

Pam Gosal MSP says plans to regulate the short-term letting industry in Scotland are “tantamount to going after a fly with a bazooka”

• Farmers Weekly, Scottish licensing plans ‘devastating’ for rural businesses, 16/08/21

Plans for a licensing scheme for short-term lets in Scotland are not “fit for purpose” and will have a devastating impact on the country’s agritourism sector unless there are significant changes, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE).

• Scottish Farmer, Calls for rethink on short-term lets approach, 16/08/21

In response to the Scottish Government consultation on a licensing scheme for short-term lets, which includes glamping sites, B&Bs and holiday cottages, SLaE have reiterated its major concern that these proposals have been shaped with mainly urban hot spot areas in mind and fails to take into account the important role short-term lets play across rural Scotland by providing housing for communities and workers, as well as bringing in vital tourism.

• Scottish Housing News, Call for rethink on ‘one size fits all’ approach to short-term lets, 16/08/21

New licensing laws being proposed for short-term let housing could have a devastating impact on Scotland’s rural communities at a time when people are reeling from the wide-scale impacts of Covid-19, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE).

• Scotsman, Agritourism will suffer under rules for urban hotspots, 14/08/21

It said that glamping sites, B&Bs and holiday cottages – key part of the nation’s infant Agritourism sector – would all fall under the same legislation which had been drawn up to address problems in urban hot spot.

• Daily Business, Short term letting licences ‘a threat’ to rural businesses, 14/08/21

Scottish Land & Estates, which represents rural businesses and landowners, says there is widespread concern over the “one size fits all” approach proposed by government.

• Ross-shire Journal, Short-term let licensing proposals ‘come at an awful time’ for many rural businesses’ and ‘could mean the end for many’, 13/08/21

The consultation process is potentially in breach of Scottish Government’s own best practice guidelines in terms of transparency, accountability, proportionality, and consistency

• Evening News, Airbnb say Edinburgh crackdown on short-term lets will have little effect, 13/08/21

On Wednesday August 11, council chiefs looking to combat antisocial behaviour, housing shortages and gentrification took their first step towards a crackdown on Airbnbs and other short term lets by launching a consultation with residents on a suggested ‘control zone’.

• Edinburgh Live, Airbnb say Edinburgh Council crackdown ‘won’t affect most hosts in city’, 13/08/21

Fiona Campbell, chief executive officer of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, says ‘communities are being hoodwinked’ into believing regulation will solve these problems.

• Inverness Courier, ‘Let us be’ – tourism and business leaders hit out as they claim Scottish Government plans for licensing on self-catering and bed and breakfast short-term rentals will be disastrous for the Highland economy, 13/08/21

First mooted in January 2020, the Scottish Government dropped the planned legislation in February this year. Tourism and business leaders say the revived proposals are worse.

• Daily Mail, Edinburgh is to become first UK city to force Airbnb landlords to seek council consent to let their homes in bid to stamp down on anti-social behaviour and housing shortages, 13.8.21

The move left homeowners furious as they claimed they were acting as scapegoats for the government’s poor housing policy.

• Oban Times, Crackdown on short-term lets won’t make more affordable housing, Argyll tourism chiefs say, 13.8.21

‘All the organisations involved in the walk-out have been responsible, willing, and positive parties to the discussions, providing key industry insight and evidence-based analysis, but have been met with obtuse responses and a reluctance to engage, the latest of which represents the final straw for the industry.’

• Insider, Officials vote in favour of short-term let control zone across Edinburgh, 12.8.21

Edinburgh has one of the lowest proportions of social housing in Scotland, with only 14% of homes in Edinburgh being social housing, compared to a Scottish average of 23%. Owner occupier is the most prevalent tenure in Edinburgh, with 59% of homes in this category and 25% private rented homes in Edinburgh, compared to a Scottish average of 14%.

• Edinburgh Live, Airbnb say Edinburgh Council crackdown ‘won’t affect most hosts in city’, 13.8.21

Ms Campbell said: “Edinburgh Council’s draft proposals for a short-term let control zone covering the entire city are wholly disproportionate and lack an empirical evidence base to substantiate claims that such accommodation has reduced housing stock.

• Northern Times, Short-term let licensing proposals ‘come at an awful time’ for many rural businesses’ and ‘could mean the end for many’, 13.8.21

In response to the Scottish Government consultation on a licensing scheme for short-term lets, which includes glamping sites, B&Bs and holiday cottages, SLE reiterated its major concern that these proposals have been shaped with mainly urban hot spot areas in mind and fails to take into account the important role short-term lets play across rural Scotland by providing housing for communities and workers, as well as bringing in vital tourism.

• Herald, New Argyll tourism chief offers solution to critical staff shortage

Chief executive of of the Argyll and Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC), Cathy Craig said: “Getting a proportionate amount of registration and legislation in place that allows visitors to have a safe visit but also enables business to do business and to bring that spend into Scotland… that is an issue that needs to be resolved. Making it really difficult for businesses to actually do business by having too much regulation is quite challenging, particularly for small businesses.”

She added: “The industry feels it is not being listened to, and its concerns are not being addressed. They are not against registration…it is the degree to which those businesses need to be regulated that is causing hardship. It is hardship because these businesses, some of them, have not been able to trade for as long as 18 months now.” 10/08/21

• Scotsman, Self-catering is under threat from licensing plans

Agritourism entrepreneur, Caroline Millar agreed that the threat to the sector was huge – and in direct contrast to the encouragement being offered by other sectors of the Scottish Government:

“For this to be happening when so many businesses are likely to need between five and ten years to recover from the shutdown over the Covid pandemic could lead to a dramatic collapse in both confidence and investment in the sector just as it is beginning to take off.”, 05/08/21

• Holyrood Magazine, Holiday accommodation representatives withdraw from working group on regulation of short-term lets

“Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, called the group “nothing but a sham” and accused the Scottish Government of having “shifted the goalposts” and acted with “cavalier disregard and indifference” to the sector’s concerns and ideas.”, 05/08/21

• Insider, Tourism organisations quit ‘not fit for purpose’ government working group on short-term lets

Nearly half of self-catering operators are expected to leave the sector should the plans come into force, thereby jeopardising the recovery of Scottish tourism from the pandemic, 05/08/21

• Herald, ‘It’s a sham’: Tourism bosses quit SNP’s Airbnb crackdown group

Conservative business and enterprise spokesperson, Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP, said: “It is utterly shocking how the SNP Government has managed to leave these representatives feeling ignored and disregarded following talks that were set up with the sole purpose of addressing their concerns. 05/08/21

• Scottish Business News, Tourism Organisations Resign from “not fit for purpose” Scottish Government Working Group on Short-Term Lets

All the organisations involved in the walk-out have been responsible, willing, and positive parties to the discussions, providing key industry insight and evidence-based analysis, but have been met with obtuse responses and a reluctance to engage, the latest of which represents the final straw for the industry. 05/08/21

• BBC, Tourism bodies quit ‘sham’ short-term lets working group

• Daily Business, Visitor bodies quit working group on short term lets

Further, they have accused the government, which is now on its third consultation on short-term lets in four years, of acting with “cavalier disregard and indifference” towards the sector’s concerns about the impending restrictive licensing scheme and of ignoring their proposals for a more workable, proportionate and cost-effective mandatory programme of registration, 04/08/21

• Carluke Gazette, Plans for short-term lets legislation criticised