It has been reported that City of Edinburgh Council are proposing to apply charges for short-term let operators to have bins collected from their properties. This charge would be in addition to any non-domestic rates or council tax paid by an owner of a short-term let which is already used to fund local services. It would also come on top of the fees associated with licensing and planning requirements.
We understand that these plans will be considered by the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee in due course.
Other than what has been trailed in the media by its Convener, Cllr Scott Arthur, the ASSC has not yet had sight of any detail of this policy. We will shortly be writing to the Council for more information and will keep ASSC members updated with developments.
In response, the CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers said:
“Our professional members have been a longstanding presence in communities for decades and take their responsibilities seriously as part of an industry which boosts the capital’s economy by £90m per annum. These very same businesses already make a substantial contribution to City of Edinburgh Council coffers, from the payment of non-domestic rates to thousands of pounds for a one-year short-term let licence and hefty planning fees. The suggestion that we are not paying our way is for the birds.
Unfortunately, short-term lets have acted as a convenient scapegoat for all manner of problems and claims about the sector being responsible for overflowing bins in the city centre would appear to be the latest example. The ASSC would be interested to learn what evidence the council holds that waste disposal issues are a specific problem related to the self-catering industry, or whether this is just another way to find an easy target when the responsibility lies elsewhere.”