Short term lets: consultation response on a regulatory framework for Scotland

Shelter Scotland recognises the popularity and value of short term lets to the Scottish economy. At a time when people in Scotland are experiencing a housing emergency, with rising homelessness, insecurity and affordability for thousands of families, it is vital that every aspect of our housing system is considered as a whole. Short term letting by individuals of their main or second home - including the letting of rooms and whole houses -has long played a part in our housing mix. In recent years the emergence of digital platforms such as Airbnb has transformed the accessibility and scale of sector whereby homes are lets lived in by owners less and let more. In our view, left unchecked, the short term lets market now threatens the health of our housing system as a whole.

Shelter Scotland believes that meaningful regulation and monitoring of the sector is overdue and calls on Government to act to ensure proportionate regulation by learning lessons from other European jurisdictions. Ministers should act to protect people in housing need from any further hollowing out of Scotland’s housing system.