Moray Council may introduce short-term let control area

To make it easier for local people to buy or rent a house where they live Moray Council might introduce short-term let control areas.

Areas where there is an issue include Moray’s coastal towns and Speyside where many properties are rented out as holiday homes.

Highland Council, in March, introduced a control zone for short-term lets in Badenoch and Strathspey. The whole of Edinburgh City Council area has also been designated as such.

At a meeting this week SNP councillor Jérémie Fernandes called for a report investigating the introduction of zones in Moray.

The Elgin North member said: “I spoke to someone who was born on Speyside, raised in Speyside, went to school in Speyside, works in Speyside and can’t find a house in Speyside. And they blame short-term lets for that.”

Party colleague Theresa Coull backed the proposal.

The councillor for Keith and Cullen said: “I really welcome tourists to this area. But there needs to be a balance between tourists and the people who live here.

“We don’t want to drive them away from those towns or villages that they grew up in just because they can’t secure accommodation.”

And SNP councillor for Buckie Sonya Warren said while coastal communities are “vibrant” during the summer, in winter they are like “ghost towns”.

However Conservative member for Elgin North Amber Dunbar had doubts over introducing control zones.

She highlighted figures from Visit Moray Speyside showing visitors generated about £187 million for the local economy in 2023 – up 26% on the previous year.

And the sector supports over 2900 full-time equivalent jobs.

Ms Dunbar said: “It’s quite clear Moray’s appeal as a destination is on the rise.”