Highland Council is going to ask the Scottish Government for a rent control zone in part of its patch.

This is despite the fact that a local consultation found exactly the same number of residents for and against the proposal.

The council wants the Badenoch and Strathspey area to become subject to both overall rent controls and short-let controls over hosts letting rooms and properties via Airbnb and similar properties.

However, Highland council’s own official consultation attracted 332 responses with 42.99 per cent in favour and exactly 42.99 per cent against. Another 8.84 per cent were undecided. 

A heated council debate on the issues reflected the divided opinion, with some councillors saying the issue of high rents could only be solved by an increase in housing supply, while others wanted a short term answer through rent controls.

Despite the lack of consensus the majority of councillors voted to press ahead with a call to the Scottish Government to make the area a Rent Control Zone.