Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson Jamie Stone MSP has called on the Scottish Government to do more to encourage private landlords in areas with a shortage of affordable housing to offer long-term lets rather than short-term holiday lets.

Mr Stone believes that the Scottish Government should build on the Review of the Private Rented Sector, by sending the Housing Minister to convene a series of meetings with local authorities to work out incentive packages that could be offered to private landlords to help ease the chronic shortage of affordable homes for rent.

This would particularly help areas like the Highlands where there is plenty of holiday accommodation, but a chronic shortage of affordable homes is forcing young families to move away from the area.

Commenting, Mr Stone said:

“The Scottish Government needs to do more to boost affordable housing in Scotland. This means investing in home-building programmes, but also looking at a short term fix.

“In areas like the Scottish Highlands, we have a chronic shortage of affordable homes for rent, but many holiday homes lying empty for much of the year. Meanwhile many Highlanders, particularly young families, are forced to move out of the area because they simply can’t afford to stay.

“I want the Housing Minister to attend a series of meetings with local authorities across the country to work out incentive packages for private landlords. They need to convince these landlords to offer long-term lets, rather than holiday lets, which are at the moment more lucrative. This would immediately boost the number of affordable homes for rent in the area and would bridge the gap until new affordable homes can be built.”