By Richard Burdge

NEIGHBOURS OF a Perth flat used to house overseas migrant workers claim anti-social behaviour is disrupting their lives.

A couple who live near the property at 14 Inchhead Terrace have described noise and rubbish problems as “very disturbing, annoying and, at times, distressing.”

In a letter to Perth and Kinross Council’s licensing committee, David and Beverly Malcolm set out their opposition to the renewal of a multiple occupation licence for the property.

“As a house in multiple occupation there appears to be insufficient vetting of suitable tenants,” they say in their letter, which will be considered by the committee this week.

“All that appears to be important is bodies in beds, which equals revenue. The tenants are transient and have no consideration of the other residents in the close.

“There is excessive noise in the dwelling and on the common stair at inappropriate times—shouting, stamping, banging, loud music—particularly during the night.

“The doors to rooms in the dwelling seem to have been hung only to slam shut and as such reverberate/shake the building every time they are used.”

The Malcolms also claim that rubbish is frequently dropped on the landing and staircase, which they have to clear up, and the paper recycling bin is used for general rubbish.

“Closer attention to the choice of tenants, ones who are more permanent—families, professionals, etc—would be more in tune with tenement/close living and have due consideration of other residents,” the letter says. The couple conclude by asking that, if renewal is granted, there be stricter controls on the property.

The licence applicant, George Raeside, Dundee Road, Perth, has responded to the claims in a letter which will also go before the committee.

“It is obviously in our interest to make the letting of the flat as successful as possible for all concerned and view this as an opportunity to iron out problems and misunderstandings,” Mr Raeside says.

“In response to insufficient vetting, we were very much aware that a family with young children live downstairs to the flat.”

He said that the agents had been asked to use the flat only for women who were usually older women who had come to work in Perth from Poland.

On the point of “bodies in beds” Mr Raeside points out that the licensing authority determines the number of people in the flat.

On the banging doors, Mr Raeside says that the fire brigade had required that every door in the flat be fitted with fire resistant panels that cause them to be heavier and self-close.

“This cost us a fair amount of time and money and so it is ironic that it is causing a problem,” he says.

“We fully appreciate that Mr and Mrs Malcolm have found the noise disturbing.”

Mr Raeside says various steps have been taken to enhance the property and problems over bin usage may have been due to language difficulties.

The licensing committee will decide on the application for renewal on Wednesday.