A SCOTTISH Lib Dem leadership candidate is facing criticism after it emerged that he is letting out his garden shed on Airbnb amid a crisis in Edinburgh’s housing market caused by holiday rentals.

A report published in this week’s Private Eye revealed Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton is renting out what appears to be a converted garden shed. 

The politician, who is the only candidate to succeed Willie Rennie as party leader, has reported in his register of interests a significant annual income on top of his basic £64,470 MSP salary, raking in between £5,001 and £10,000. 

The “cosy cabin,” which costs £57 per night, offers tenants a “​​self-contained and utterly private” setting, which includes an air bed. 

Concerns have grown in recent years about the effect of Airbnb and other short-term lets in the capital, with an increase in homelessness and rising living costs. 

Leith ward Labour and Co-operative Party councillor Gordon Munro said: “This is just greed. The last thing Edinburgh needs is another Airbnb — in a city where we have a housing crisis someone looks to exploit that for their own personal gain, it’s not right.

“Airbnb is a huge issue for Edinburgh, this isn’t about someone renting out their spare room to pay their mortgage, this is just someone trying to make money.”

Caroline Cawley, a Living Rent member and Mr Cole-Hamilton’s constituent, questioned how the MSP can be objective about housing legislation. 

She told the Star: “It is shocking that while so many of Alex Cole-Hamilton’s constituents live in poverty and terrible housing conditions, he is topping up his comfortable MSP salary by acting as an Airbnb landlord. 

“The hypocrisy of Cole-Hamilton’s actions is staggering with so many communities in Scotland desperately needing more affordable housing, to say nothing of the unscrupulous landlords bypassing tenants’ rights on expensive short-term lets.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton previously backed restrictions on Airbnb-type rentals in the Scottish capital after being asked whether he supported such a move. 

Writing on Twitter in 2017, he said: “Certainly when it comes to the party flat variety — [I] think the whole thing does need to be carefully scrutinised.”

The Morning Star was told Mr Cole-Hamilton has been clear he wants to see tighter regulation of short-term lets, including signing a cross-party letter in 2018, but that the “framing” of this story was “hostile.”

A Lib Dem spokesman said: “Alex’s Airbnb is fully reported on his register of interests.”