Edinburgh Council holds no evidence that its short-term let planning control area has improved the housing supply since it was introduced in 2022, according to a lobby group.
The findings, via na Freedom of Information request by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), will pose questions for other local authorities, including Highland and Fife Councils, which are actively considering similar controls.
Edinburgh Council confirmed it does not hold any quantitative data, impact assessments or evaluations showing improvements in overall housing availability, affordable housing supply, property sale prices or private rental costs since the Planning Control Area (PCA) was implemented.
It also confirmed that no internal or external review has been carried out to assess whether the policy has worked.
When asked by the ASSC about empty homes and second homes, the council relied solely on broad Scottish Government statistics published at whole local authority level, rather than providing any analysis specific to the PCA itself.
At the same time, independent market data shows that housing costs have continued to rise. Average property prices across Edinburgh and the wider region increased by more than 4% in 2025, while private rents in the Lothians remain among the highest in Scotland and continue to climb year on year.
The ASSC has described the findings as a “clear example of regulation introduced without an evidence base and maintained without proof of success”.
In response, it reiterated its call for an independent post-implementation review of the Edinburgh STL PCA and for housing policy to focus on proven solutions, including new build delivery and targeted empty homes initiatives.
The ASSC is appealing for an immediate pause on the further expansion of PCAs until there is clear, localised and transparent evidence that they actually work. The leading trade body warned that other councils should pause and reflect before following Edinburgh’s lead.
Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the ASSC, said: “This FOI response confirms something deeply troubling. A major planning intervention has been introduced, enforced and defended without any evidence that it actually delivers housing benefit. That is not how good policy should be made.
“The facts completely undermine the narrative surrounding this policy. Since the STL Planning Control Area was introduced in Edinburgh, house prices and rents have continued to rise with no sign of improved affordability or increased supply.
“All that’s happened in nearly three and a half years of operation is increased costs and disruption to small businesses.
“For other councils like Highland and Fife mulling similar schemes, the risks are significant. These controls can damage local tourism economies, undermine small family-run businesses and reduce visitor spend, without delivering the housing benefits that are often promised. Edinburgh’s experience should be act as a cautionary tale, not a template.
“If a policy cannot demonstrate that it has achieved its stated objectives, the answer is not to double down but to reassess. Scotland needs housing solutions that genuinely increase supply and affordability, not ill-conceived ideological measures driven by assumption which only serve to raise false hopes within local communities.”
Edinburgh Council has argued that it needs the authority to control rental property in order to protect neighbourhoods and release homes for permanent occupation. A response to the ASSC claims is awaited.
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