Private landlords in Edinburgh are being reminded to renew their registration in the coming months.

The City of Edinburgh Council is launching a campaign to remind landlords they need to renew on time to ensure they avoid any financial penalties.

Nearly 30,000 applications from landlords have been successfully processed by the Council since the launch of the Scottish Government’s Landlord Registration scheme in 2006.

Landlords are required to renew their registration every three years which means over 12,000 of Edinburgh’s applications are due to be renewed in 2010.

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Several other local authorities in Scotland have already started renewing registrations and early evidence is that a third of landlords are failing to renew on time.

While the Council will issue a reminder, some landlords have not kept their contact details up to date and so should not rely on receiving a notification.

Landlords can register online to gain a 10% discount on their fees, or they can fill out a paper application form. A team of experts at the Council are also on hand to give out advice and to help landlords with the renewal process.

With nearly 30,000 landlords on the public register it also means it is now much easier for neighbours to contact a landlord if they need to discuss issues such as common repairs, or if there are concerns about antisocial behaviour.

Councillor Paul Edie, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s important we get the message across to all landlords that they need to renew their registration or they are letting their property illegally. Any landlords who haven’t registered yet should take this opportunity to do so now.”

(GK)