The number of properties in the capital available to rent on Airbnb has doubled to 12,000 since 2016

Lucrative Airbnb rentals are fuelling Edinburgh’s housing crisis, with more than one in ten city centre properties being promoted on the site.

Growing numbers of families and young professionals are losing their homes as landlords exploit the short-term lettings market — particularly over the festival and Hogmanay — where they can double their earnings.

Edinburgh lets on the home-sharing site have doubled to 12,000 since 2016, which city leaders say is partly to blame for the loss of up to a third of the private rental stock in some areas.

Lax regulation is encouraging landlords to switch to holiday lets, which do not require the same stringent safety checks as the traditional rental market.

“The problem is a complete imbalance,” Rob Trotter, a partner at