A short-let business in Scotland needs to consider licensing and planning as separate parts of its preparation. Scottish Government guidance directs hosts and operators to their local council and the official checker, rather than treating an online platform listing as permission to operate.
The licensing framework covers a broad range of accommodation, including holiday cottages, guest houses, rooms within a home and unconventional accommodation. The guidance says the length of a stay is not, by itself, the deciding factor: relevant accommodation can be let for one night or several months. There are exemptions, so the precise arrangement needs checking against the official guidance.
New hosts must obtain the required licence before accepting bookings or receiving guests. Applications go to the local council. Its published policy sets out mandatory conditions and any additional local conditions, while the licence cost depends on the accommodation and type of let. An incomplete application can create avoidable difficulties.
Check the planning position too
Councils can designate short-term let control areas. Edinburgh became the first on 5 September 2022, followed by the Badenoch and Strathspey Ward in Highland on 4 March 2024. The guidance explains the role of planning permission where a change of use is involved. A licence should not be treated as a substitute for resolving that separate question.
Where a property changed use before a control area was designated, the planning authority considers whether the change is material on a case-by-case basis. Hosts should use the current planning guidance and seek an answer for the property, rather than assume that another address establishes a precedent.
Before making commitments
Our suggested preparation file would bring together the exact address, the proposed activity, the council’s current application requirements and any planning correspondence. Keep the permissions and their conditions distinct so that a missing answer is visible.
Public council registers can help readers identify licence applications, but an application entry and an issued licence are different statuses. Check the current record carefully. This article introduces Scotland’s framework; it does not determine whether a particular property is exempt or ready to accept guests, and it does not describe the systems elsewhere in the UK.