Edinburgh councillors have voted against "watering down" guidance on new rules for short-term lets after housing activists warned wording drafted by officials would create an "enormous loophole" for hosts to avoid curbs.
A council meeting heard that a proposed summary of policies used to determine if a property is appropriate for use as a holiday let - which will inform operators if new restrictions apply to them - could undermine the council's crackdown on short-term lets (STLs).
Many who run Airbnb-style accommodation in the capital will soon require planning permission and a licence, in an effort by the authority to regulate the market following a decade which has seen an explosion of STLs in the city - now home to around a third of all in Scotland.
