NEW powers to give more control over short-term lets, like Airbnb, will be made available to Glasgow City Council.

The Scottish Government has revealed local authorities will be able to introduce a licensing scheme to regulate short-term housing.

Glasgow’s authority has previously called for further regulation.

Concerns over short-term lets include their impact on housing markets as the number of residential properties falls, loss of amenity for neighbours and safety/security risks.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart announced licensing schemes can be rolled out from spring 2021 to help councils understand their area, improve safety and assist with handling complaints.

They will include a mandatory safety requirement and authorities will be able to add conditions to address the concerns of nearby residents.

Control areas will also be introduced to ensure planning permission will always be required for the change of use of whole properties for short-term lets.

Stewart said: “Short-term lets can offer people a flexible travel option and have contributed positively to Scotland’s tourism industry and local economies across the country.

“However, we know that in certain areas, particularly tourist hot spots, high numbers of short-term lets are causing problems and often make it harder for people to find homes to live in.

“By giving councils the power to set conditions around short-term lets licences and put in place planning control areas to tackle hot spots, communities across Scotland will be able to decide what is best for them and their local economy.”

Future taxation of short-term lets will also be considered to ensure they contribute to local communities and services.

Figures released in January last year showed Airbnb listings rose by 45% in Glasgow, in the previous year, to a total of 2200.

And statistics from June last year revealed an increase in breaches of planning policy by short-term lets. Council officers, who dealt with 43 cases in the whole of 2018, were faced with 44 cases by late May last year.

Stewart added: “Everybody wants visitors, hosts, neighbours and local residents to be safe. That is why the licensing scheme includes a safety element which will be mandatory across Scotland for all short-term lets.

“Separately, local authorities will be given discretion to include further conditions to help tackle littering or overcrowding of properties.

“These powers will allow local authorities to ensure a safe, quality experience for visitors, while protecting the interests of local communities.”

Government consultation on short-term lets, carried out last year, received more than 1000 responses.