The FSB’s Highlands & Islands Development Manager, David Richardson, said,
“FSB Scotland believes that the Scottish Government’s proposed Short Term Lets legislation is the wrong legislation at entirely the wrong time.
“It is being driven by circumstances in a few hot spots like Edinburgh’s Old Town, but rather than focussing on the needs of these localities, a massive, one-size-fits-all net is now being cast over all of Scotland’s self-caterers, B&Bs and others, no matter where they are located or what the local conditions. The Scottish Government is using a massive sledgehammer to crack a nut.
“The FSB supports the appropriate regulation of short term lets, but this is not it. All minds should be focused on rebuilding struggling businesses and local economies in what we hope is the aftermath of the pandemic, and now is not the time to be introducing heavy-handed and expensive new regulations.”