Glasgow Partick Airbnb where neighbours say guests try to enter their homes gets licence

A Partick Airbnb where neighbours complained about guests trying to enter their flats and playing loud music has been granted a licence despite their objections.

Four residents in the Hyndland Street flats opposed Gary Coutts’ application for a short-term let licence, but councillors decided to approve his bid.

One objector said visitors had accidentally tried to open their door in the night, constantly buzzed the intercom, played loud music and dragged suitcases through the close causing “nuisance”.

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They also raised concerns about the owner, claiming he refused to communicate in “a reasonable manner”.

However, a representative for Mr Coutts, who is involved in managing the property, said they were now taking measures to vet guests and were open to discussions with residents.

He added they take neighbours feeling unsafe in their home “very, very seriously” and would be looking for more “mid-term lets”.

Cllr Alex Wilson, SNP, the licensing committee chairman, told residents they had “grounds for objections on several things”, but said he believed the applicant’s representative had “addressed quite a few of those issues”.

He added the licence would allow proper regulation of the property.

One objector said strangers were “accessing the property all through the week” and had “accidentally tried opening our door in the middle of the night” which was “quite alarming”.

“Airbnb guests are constantly buzzing the intercom because they do not know how to access the building, which is quite frustrating for residents,” the objector said, adding they also put rubbish that can’t be recycled into the blue bins.

He added: “There is a housing crisis and this property is best suited to someone who actually lives in the city.”

Another objector said: “As an owner-occupier within the same tenement close, I feel use of the commercial short-term let has a negative impact on the quality of life and security.”

He said the nature of the let meant “unfamiliar faces” were regularly “entering and exiting the building”. “There’s no way to tell who is renting, who is visiting or just strangers off the street.”

The objector added he has had “unknown persons trying to enter my flat, trying to unlock the door or force my door, perhaps confused as to which door is the short-term let”.

Mr Coutts’ representative said they had “made a decision that we are going to focus on bringing more mid-term lets to that flat”, and would be looking for stays of a month or longer.

He said residents would “get used to seeing the same faces, and not have people checking in and out on a regular basis”.

The committee also heard guests are asked for ID, the reason for their visit and their check-in time. The representative added issues with checking-in to the correct flat had been addressed by uploading instructions, installing a plaque on the door to highlight the property and, in some cases, phoning guests to run them through the process.

Decibel levels can also be monitored and guests asked to “keep things down”, he added.

Cllr Wilson said: “I can understand noise, I can understand disruption, litter etc, but there is a place for Airbnbs. We do need them for people who come into the city.

“I do think there are some improvements that need to be made here. Just saying that having an Airbnb because you don’t know who is going to be there, it is the same with any letting property.

“You could have professional people or you could have people come in who just like to party.”

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