Monday March 2nd 2026
Edinburgh City Chambers
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
A failure to spend more money on enforcement of bad landlords has been slammed by a campaign group and a councillor.
Several groups wanted to see £350k spent in the next year on private rental sector enforcement.
But the money was left out of a budget deal agreed between the city’s Labour administration and the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups on Thursday.
Green councillor and co-convener Chas Booth, whose group backed the spend, said Labour had ‘turned their backs’ on city renters.
He continued: “Councillors heard harrowing stories from Living Rent about the awful conditions some private tenants are enduring.
“The need for more council resources to support tenants and hold dodgy landlords to account is plain for all to see and the Green proposal to employ six more officers was costed and evidence-based.”
Edinburgh’s finance boss said the city ‘remains committed’ to ensuring the rental sector is properly enforced.
Tenants’ union Living Rent said the council had ‘betrayed’ tenants in the city by not agreeing to the spend.
Georgia Dodsworth, chair of the union’s Leith branch, continued: “Edinburgh Council already has a wide range of powers it could use to crack down on landlords who break the law.
“But regulations mean nothing if they are not properly enforced.
“By failing to put its money where its mouth is, the council has made it clear that it is not serious about doing what it takes to stand up to the rogue landlords putting tenants through hell.”
Members of the union gave a deputation at Thursday’s special budget meeting where they spoke about poor conditions in rented flats in Edinburgh, with one speaking about their experience with lead poisoning in their flat.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously reported on the council awarding an £8m homeless housing contract to a landlord who historically pleaded guilty to running unregistered lets and unlicensed HMOs.
Living Rent has campaigned for the increased spend in recent months over concerns the council was not effectively enforcing housing regulations.
In a report published last year, it laid out an argument that the council was not meeting its legal responsibilities in that area.
The SNP group also supported the increased spend on PRS enforcement.
Finance convener and Labour councillor Mandy Watt said: “The annual budget for the PRS Enforcement Team already sits at £790,000 with a further increase of £167,000 proposed, as reported to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee in February.
“This followed on from the report considered by the Regulatory Committee in January.
“As part of the budget, we requested a further report to the Finance and Resources Committee on what extra resources and powers would be required to protect tenants from landlords who don’t adequately maintain their properties.
“We remain committed to ensuring that this sector is properly regulated and enforced.”
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