The first conviction against the landlord of an unlicensed Airbnb-style short let has happened in Edinburgh.

The convicted owner of an unlicensed short let has received a £600 fine and was ordered to pay £500 compensation to a neighbour who raised the case with the council.

The neighbour reported the unlicensed property after experiencing repeated loud noise and disruption by guests, on one occasion witnessing 19 people staying at the unlicenced short let above them.

The successful case has further implications for the convicted landlord as it’s likely to affect any future licence applications by the same owner. 

To operate as a registered landlord or licence holder for a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) or short let in Scotland you need to pass a ‘fit and proper person’ test and any relevant convictions including operating an unlicenced short let are taken into consideration when this assessment is made.

Operating as an unregistered landlord or unlicenced HMO is an offence which carries a maximum fine of up to £50,000, while the maximum fine for operating an unlicensed short let is currently £2,500.

Edinburgh council has a further 12 cases of unlicensed which are pending.

A spokesperson says: “This conviction sends a clear message that operating without a licence is illegal. It also demonstrates that our enforcement team is effective and that a conviction will result in financial penalties.

“This isn’t action that we want to take. We always try to resolve issues through advice and guidance in the first instance and where this approach doesn’t work, we gather the information required to take enforcement action.”