Scottish property owners will need a licence and possibly planning permission before they can rent out their homes on Airbnb, under a crackdown of short-term lets unveiled by SNP ministers.

Kevin Stewart, the SNP's Housing Minister, announced local authorities will be given the power to impose a licensing scheme from spring next year, and impose further hurdles if required to address local residents' concerns.

He also disclosed he will "carefully and urgently consider" the introduction of extra taxes to ensure short-term lets "make an appropriate contribution to local services."

A surge in the number of short-term lets in Scotland has prompted a flood of complaints over rowdy parties, property damage and the fracturing of communities.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact on the local housing supply in areas such as Edinburgh, one of the most popular places for Airbnb listings.

The city's council last night welcomed the new restrictions, saying that planning controls could be used to stop the increase in short-term lets.

Airbnb said it had "long supported calls for fair regulations" but warned against a system that "excludes working families through fees, barriers and bureaucracy."