Andrew Ducker (@andrewducker.bsky.social)

Council weighs up £350k plan to protect Edinburgh renters from rogue landlords Six new enforcement officers proposed to target problem landlords in Edinburgh An investment of £350,000 a year could significantly boost Edinburgh City Council's ability to crack down on rogue landlords, according to a new report. The proposed funding would allow the local authority’s licensing service to hire six dedicated private rental sector enforcement officers. A report before next Tuesday’s finance committee meeting states that, if the funding was approved, they would join six already in post, who handle a variety of areas. One member of the team is dedicated to handling landlord registrations, while the remaining five handle the general operational demands of the service. Six more officers were hired to help handle the new workload brought on by the introduction of short-term let licensing. In addition, the report states that the licensing service would look to hire dedicated landlord registration enforcement officers and support officers within its current budget. At present, the council’s private rental sector enforcement team works with a budget of £790k per year, drawn from licence fees. According to the report, half of the sum comes from short-term let licence fees, 35% from HMO licence fees, and 15% from fees for landlord registration. The staff hired from within the existing budget would work to increase the number of proactive checks on persons applying for landlord registration. They would also help provide mediation between landlords and tenants and provide support for third-party referrals to the Housing Tribunal. If the extra £350k were identified for the new officers, they would be dedicated to increasing regulatory action in the private rented sector. The report states that ‘proposed workstreams’ include increased enforcement, as well as increased engagement with tenants and landlords. Alongside this, they could work to increase checks on new and renewal landlord registration applications, and proactively investigate any ‘adverse’ outcomes against an Edinburgh landlord coming from the Housing Tribunal. From breaking news at Holyrood to what’s on this weekend – get Edinburgh’s news, sport and lifestyle stories in our daily newsletter Discussion around adding funding for the service began in September last year, when the city’s housing committee asked for a briefing note on the matter. It came after concerns were raised by councillors and tenant’s union Living Rent, among other groups, that not enough was being done to enforce wrongdoing by landlords. In December, the £350k figure was circulated to relevant councillors, and in February this year the council requested a report on resources needed to improve private rental sector enforcement. Officers have asked councillors, who would have to approve any new funding, to note the report at the finance committee meeting. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-city-council-ps350k-plan-8746851