Party flats update

It’s now almost a year since the Council set out how we would deal with ‘party flats’. Party flats being property or properties occupied by a number of unrelated people on holiday for ‘stag’ or ‘hen’ parties or where properties are used for groups attending large sporting/entertainment events. In that time, we have served a number of enforcement notices instructing landlords to remove these unauthorised uses and we are currently investigating other cases. Whilst they may be well intended, these flats can cause a nuisance to neighbours and result in serious safety issues.

You can get more advice in our Guidance for Businesses document with party flats (or ‘short stay commercial leisure apartments’) covered on page 6. If you are considering letting out a property for this purpose, or are concerned about whether an unauthorised party flat is operating in your area, then please read the guidance and contact us at planning@edinburgh.gov.uk for further advice.