First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to grant local councils more power to control short-term lets in their region.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions last week, co-convener of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie MSP called on Ms Sturgeon to grant local authorities further powers to tackle the problem.

Recent research by housing spokesperson Andy Wightman's Homes First campaign has revealed many landlords are operating lucrative short term letting businesses in Edinburgh alone, with one host controlling 80 listings.


Mr Harvie said the growth of short term lets is "exacerbating the housing crisis, in our city centres and in rural communities".

"Scottish Ministers have said this issue will be addressed by their working group on the collaborative economy but as my colleague Andy Wightman has said, the removal of badly-needed housing from supply is not collaborative - it's commercial exploitation," he said.

"The government has the power to create new use class orders through the planning system, which local councils could use to help control the rapid and unregulated growth of this sector.

"The First Minister's response that she understands the distinction between collaborating and exploitation is welcome, as is her statement that she is not ruling out giving councils the necessary powers."

(LM/MH)