'Stop this madness now!' Airbnb is accused of taking over tourist-friendly Edinburgh where one property is pictured with 11 key safes on its front door for short-term renters to use

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An apartment block with almost a dozen key safes at its front door could be the 'final straw' for Airbnb in Edinburgh.

In an extraordinary photo shared on Reddit, a row of 11 key safes are perched along the right hand side of a property's front door on Edinburgh's iconic Royal Mile.

Key safes refer to mini metal lockers which securely store apartment keys for holiday makers and other short-term visitors. 

An apartment block (pictured) with almost a dozen key safes at its front door could be the 'final straw' for Airbnb in Edinburgh

The photo which was shared on Reddit shows a row of 11 key safes perched along the right hand side of a property's red front door on Edinburgh's iconic Royal Mile (pictured)

They can only be accessed by tenants and guests who know the combination code.

The property is just a stone throw away from tourist hot spots including Edinburgh castle and one entrance to the Hogmanay Street Party held in December. 

One apartment owner has advertised his flat for a staggering £215 pounds a night because of its location in the heart of Edinburgh's old town.

The picture which was captured by Chris Pettigrew with the caption 'Actual Final Boss of Edinburgh Airbnb' has sparked a debate among social media users.

Key safes, like the 11 pictured in front of an Edinburgh property (pictured, left), have become more popular in recent years with the rise of Airbnb (pictured, right) and other short-term rentals

One man said: 'My god. Unbelievable. How as it come to this? Stop this madness now.'

Another downplayed the debate, challenging why locals would want to live in a tourist hub in the first place.

'Why would anyone who lives here want to stay in the busy touristy bits anyway?' another hit back.

A former tenant said he was shocked by the sheer number of key safes but is happy he can return for a visit.

One man said: 'I lived here 2012-15 and there were a couple of Airbnbs but nothing like this. That was a great flat; I suppose the good news is I can probably stay there again when I visit.'

A quick Google street view search reveals the impact of the Airbnb and short-term rental boom in the last few years.   

The picture which was captured by Chris Pettigrew with the caption 'Actual Final Boss of Edinburgh Airbnb' has sparked a debate among social media users

One man said: 'My god. Unbelievable. How as it come to this? Stop this madness now'

'Why would anyone who lives here want to stay in the busy touristy bits anyway?' another hit back

A street view of the property dating back to 2015 has no key safes pictured next to the door. 

Yet a year later, three key safes are instated, followed by seven in May 2017. 

It comes after the Scottish government has revealed plans to make restrictions on Airbnb rentals in Edinburgh after a row of complaints from tenants.

Global cities have put restrictions in a bid to control short-term letting. In London short term rentals are limited to 90 days a year while Amsterdam enforces a 60 day limit.

New York enforces stricter rules making it illegal to occupy a short-term let for longer than 30 consecutive days unless the host is present.

An Airbnb spokesperson told MailOnline:

'Airbnb is built on the principles of making communities stronger, spreading tourism benefits beyond hotels to Scottish families and local businesses. Entire home listings on Airbnb represent less than 2.5 per cent of the available housing stock in Edinburgh, with the typical host sharing their home for fewer than four nights a month.

And while guests using Airbnb account for just five per cent of visitors to Scotland, they boost the Scottish economy by almost £1.5 million a day and put around £240 million into the pockets of Edinburgh families last year alone.'