THOUSANDS of new students moving to Edinburgh are to be given tips on tenement living in an effort to head off complaints by neighbours.

The initiative by the council has been set up because of concerns that many young people will be experiencing communal living for the first time.

Earlier this year, residents of some of the city's most affluent areas demanded council quotas to limit the number of student neighbours.

They warned that families faced being disturbed by parties and antisocial behaviour as they become swamped by students.

Their campaign came in the wake of an unsuccessful attempt by one of Edinburgh's most high-profile residents, Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary, to prevent potentially disruptive students from sharing his Merchiston address.

The Scots MP was upset about an application for a ''house in multiple occupation'' licence for a flat above him.

In a letter of protest from Westminster, he indicated work he did in his flat would be affected by the noise from ''youthful tenants of an HMO''.

The council initiative in-

volves staff attending freshers' fairs at the city's four universities - Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Napier and Queen Margaret University College - to highlight the rights and responsibilities of living in HMOs.

They will also distribute booklets giving information and offering guidance about staying in tenement flats.

The freshers' fairs are likely to attract about 14,000 of the 35,000 undergraduates studying in the city.

Robert Cairns, the executive member for environmental services, said: ''Many students will be away from their family home for the first time and so it will be the first time they have shared a flat or lived in a tenement.They may not know what to expect of communal living.

''For those of us who are used to living in tenements, we don't think twice about putting out our rubbish, cleaning the stair when it's our turn, or knowing who to call when there is a problem.

''However,'' said Mr Cairns, ''young adults, whether they are students or workers who have never lived in a flat before, need to be provided with the information that will allow them to be good neighbours.''

Steve Cockburn, president of Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA), said: ''This is exactly the sort of initiative that could prove very positive both in helping students deal with the transition to living in private accommodation and in improving community relations.

''We would welcome extending such initiatives as a constructive way of informing all of their rights and responsibilities as part of a community.''

The number of HMOs in the city is increasing. More than 5300 properties have been or are in the process of being licensed.

The guidance

1 Make sure that your landlord or agent is a licensed HMO owner.

2 Please show consideration for your neighbours when playing music at any time of the day.

3 If you ever have a neighbourhood disagreement, contact the council who can arrange community mediation.

4 Do not leave bicycles or rubbish in corridors or stairways; these objects can cause obstruction, result in accidents or prevent emergency services gaining access.

5 Candles can be dangerous.

6 Make sure that your domestic waste is presented properly and on the correct day.