CrowdJustice Appeal – Stop the threat facing Short-Term Rental : https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/shorttermrentalthreat2/
“We at the ASSC have been alerted to an increasing number of operators being served with enforcement notices to cease trading in their short-term rental properties.
“The decision to support Nicola’s case has not been taken lightly and is one that we believe will determine the future of the self-catering in Scotland. The ASSC has taken extensive professional advice and concluded that we should support her appeal.
“It is the ASSC’s position that no change of use planning permission is required for holiday lets – the use remains residential. There is, however, no clarity in terms of City of Edinburgh Council planning policy and that lack of clarity is now being used to regulate the self-catering sector and shut businesses down.
“This is impacting many of our members and is unsustainable.
“There has also been mounting negative media and political pressure to ‘control’ short-term rental. The ASSC does not believe that planning is the way to do this and seeks clarity on the matter.
“The flat in question is rented out professionally via a letting agent and is entirely legitimate. The owner (an ASSC Member) complies with all the regulations associated with professional self-catering, and the property operates within the ASSC Code of Conduct.
“As the trade association supporting self-catering in Scotland, we have a responsibility to protect our sector. This matter is critical to all self-catering operators in city centres throughout Scotland.
“The lack of clarity from City of Edinburgh Council regarding planning for short-term/self-catering accommodation is precisely what the case is focusing on. Currently, there is no clear policy, and this allows the Council to use ‘change of use’ as a reason to shut perfectly legitimate and professional businesses down. Our Chief Executive, Fiona Campbell, is currently working with four such cases, all of whom are ASSC members.
“We simply cannot have Councils shutting down perfectly legitimate operators based on unfounded complaints. We need to come out at the other end of this case with a clear precedent and a subsequent framework in place to give confidence to existing operators that their business will not be shut down by a brown envelope arriving through the letterbox.”
David Smythe
Chairman
Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC)