@lornaslater talking a load of rubbish.This is the problem with ideologists who show a lack of integrity, intelligence, & most of all, EVIDENCE. I wish that Gull had got in, he'd be making more sense by now than LS on self-catering! #SAVESC @SaveSCScotland bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002xg…

What does the evidence actually say about Short-Term Lets (STLs) in Edinburgh? The narrative is that STLs are hollowing out communities, causing widespread nuisance, and driving the housing crisis. The licensed STL register and council data tell a more nuanced story. 📍@Edinburgh_CC claimed to there were 12,000 STLs. The current licensed register shows: • 5,640 licensed STLs in total, of which;
• 2,300 secondary lets (entire property)
• 1,271 home lets
• 872 home shares
• 1,197 home let & share 👉Most licensed STLs are not entire properties dedicated solely to tourism, and there are far fewer than claimed 📍Are STLs "hollowing out communities"? The register shows: • 331 buildings have more than one secondary let
• 975 secondary-let licences across those buildings
• That's an average of fewer than 3 per building The biggest concentrations are serviced apartment blocks: • Western Harbour Midway (25)
• 129 High Street (13)
• Thistle Street SW Lane (11)
• 27 Home Street (11)
• 9 South St Andrew Street (11)💰💸💴These large serviced-apartment developments were approved by Edinburgh Council itself. Many owned by foreign investors, and there are more coming 💰💸💵🤔 👉If community cohesion is being affected, the evidence points more towards purpose-built serviced apartment blocks than small, locally owned short-term lets. 📍What about "party flats"? Of 11,000 noise complaints recorded in 2009, only 41 were linked to short-term lets. More strikingly, 22 of those 41 complaints came from a single property. 👉That suggests a very small number of problematic operators rather than a city-wide STL nuisance problem. 📍What about the housing crisis? There is still no clear evidence that Edinburgh's STL restrictions have: • Increased affordable housing supply
• Reduced rents
• Reduced house prices At the same time, hundreds of council-owned homes remain empty and uninhabitable. 📍The licensing regime was intended to improve safety and regulation. Instead: • Many operators have left the licensed market and are operating illegally 
• Compliant operators who applied for planning permission have faced very high refusal rates- easier targets for @Edinburgh_CC 
• Only 12 enforcement cases have reportedly been referred/actioned Questions remain about whether the system is achieving its intended objectives. 📍📍Meanwhile, Edinburgh Council has spent around £400k of taxpayer’s money defending STL policies in court, losing multiple legal challenges, with further litigation expected 📍📍 Public policy should be evidence-led, proportionate, and focused on genuine problem properties rather than broad assumptions. The data suggests Edinburgh's STL debate is more complicated than the headlines. The real challenge may be balancing tourism, housing and community interests without targeting responsible operators who are not causing measurable harm. #SaveSC @thecockburn @PLACEEdinburgh @bbcandrewpicken @deadlinenews @vickimillerVS @adamtomforrest @CBI_Scotland @SCOTOnetwork @stephenjardine @briandonnellyHT @collarbrodies @licensinglaws @stvnews @stvsharon @montaukian @mediawummin @RhodaFMorrison @donaldturvill @heraldscotland @bbcscotlandnews @edinburghpaper

Spot on. #SaveSC

At a time of such uncertainty over the competitiveness of #Scotland as a destination this is a very sensible decision. #SaveSC @scotgov @ASSCnews

@scotgov makes the laws @Edinburgh_CC uses them to hound those following the rules while rule-breakers in the brand new black market it spawned live in a parallel universe where there are no penalties, no levy, no problems. Hypocrisy at every level of government. #SaveSC

mygov.scot/short-term-let-li… #SaveSC

@edinburgh_CC @Scotgov "This property has identified that it does not require a short-term rental license or registration" Odd? Is this the black market moving upmarket? A better quality of unlicensed operator? #SaveSC @ASSCnews

One of our supporting comments was from a guest who stayed with an autistic adult child. Hotel accommodation is not suitable and serviced appt too expensive. They appreciated the home from home vibe. Soon they’ll all be gone #SaveSC

We may find it funny but it's definitely no laughing matter. @scotgov enabled and then @Edinburgh_CC implemented what amounts to a blanket ban on self-catering in a city with less than 1% of all residential properties. This is not evidence-led policy making. #SaveSC @ASSCnews

Not only do @Edinburgh_CC ignore industry experts on VL, but then they go & deliver a totally unworkable % model - @EdinburghLabour Meagher has no clue! Self-catering on its knees thanks to botched policies - black market thriving! @ASSCnews #SaveSC independent.co.uk/travel/new…

Not only do @Edinburgh_CC ignore industry experts on VL, but then they go & deliver a totally unworkable % model - @EdinburghLabour Meagher has no clue! Self-catering on its knees thanks to botched policies - black market thriving! @ASSCnews #SaveSC independent.co.uk/travel/new…

Meanwhile, locally run businesses in the self-catering sector are actively being shut down on flimsy pretence by local authorities. Looking at you @Edinburgh_CC & @scotgov for being the enabler. #SaveSC @ASSCnews

This is the real outcome of the @scotgov self-catering licencing regime. It's less safe with an unpoliced black market & less affordable to visit Edinburgh or Scotland generally. Gov at all levels is doing terrible harm & there is no sign of it stopping. #SaveSC @ASSCnews

In @Edinburgh_CC we've fewer than 2k full-time licenced self-catering units, yet they're being hounded & closed by a council machine which allows an unsafe black market to blossom unpoliced as desperate performers & familes seek a place to stay. #SaveSC @EdFringeSociety @ASSCnews

@timminchin The causes of unaffordable performer accommodation in Edinburgh sit at the door of flawed @scotgov legislation & a short-sighted @Edinburgh_CC that does not appear to care its action s have made the city less safe & less affordable than ever. #SaveSC @ASSCnews

Perhaps worst of all is the explosion in unlicensed & unsafe black market accommodation that is a disaster waiting to happen. Licensing was supposed to protect visitors but it has so far done the opposite. #SaveSC @ASSCnews /4

Hotels during festival are just not suitable for performers or families. There is a genuine need & requirement for diverse accommodation & the short-sighted actions of @edinburgh_CC has made a tough situation far worse for our festivals. /3 #SaveSC @timminchin