Edinburgh Council considers charging Airbnb properties for bin collections

The City of Edinburgh Council is considering whether the owners of Airbnb-style properties can be charged for bin collections.

It comes after some local authorities in England opted to charge short-term lets for waste management or arrange commercial pick-ups.

The plans, first reported in The Herald, will be considered at the council's environment committee.

It comes after concerns about the volume of rubbish produced by short-term lets in central Edinburgh.

Environment convener Scott Arthur said: "Following feedback from residents, council officers are currently looking at the issue of whether short-term let operators can be charged for their waste collections.

"This will be reported to and considered by committee in due course."

Any new charge would be separate to business rates or council tax already paid by owners of Airbnb-style properties.

New regulations for Airbnb-style properties came into effect in Edinburgh in October last year.

Visitors booking short-term lets in the city were told to look out for licence numbers in adverts to ensure the property meets the requirements.

Hosts can face fines of £2,500 if they have not complied.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.