Short term lets

The Scottish Government has introduced Short Term Lets Licensing under legislation approved by the Scottish Parliament in January 2021.

Update

From 1 March 2024 all private rented properties and short term lets in Scotland will be required to have fixed central heating, a kitchen with adequate space and facilities to prepare and store food. This brings together both existing and new duties included in the Repairing Standard. New duties cover kitchens, fixed heating systems, common parts, and fuel supplies.

For further information: Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

All short term let properties in Scotland will require a licence. This is to ensure they are safe and the people providing them are suitable. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 came into law on 1 March 2022.  

Licences

There will be four types of Short Term Lets Licences:

secondary letting - a short-term let involving the letting of property where you do not normally live
home letting - using all or part of your home for short term lets whilst you are absent
home sharing - using all or part of your own home for short term lets whilst you are there
home letting and home sharing - hosts principal home

What we are doing

The licensing scheme will require all licenced short-term lets to comply with mandatory conditions which will apply across Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway Council will check that the premises are compliant with all conditions.

Dumfries & Galloway Council established a Short Term Lets Licensing Scheme from 1 October 2022
On 01 March 2023 the Scottish Parliament approved the date that existing hosts and operators will have to apply for a licence changed from 1 April 2023 to 1 October 2023
All short-term let properties will require a license by 1 January 2025.

Processing applications

Please be aware the maximum period for processing applications set out in the Scottish Government legislation is 9 months for new hosts and 12 months for existing hosts, however the Council will endeavour to process applications as soon as possible within this timescale. This is subject to all mandatory conditions being met by the host and consideration by statutory referees Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Additionally, you must ensure that Building Standards and Planning regulations are met for your property prior to submitting your application. For further information please see below:

Building Standards: Building standards - Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk)
Planning: http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/15331/What-needs-planning-permission

Application checklist

This is included as Annex B as part of the following document:

The list helps you check you have the relevant information to submit an application for a licence. Getting your application right first time will help you to get a decision more quickly.

Short Term Lets - Licensing Guidance Part 1 (www.gov.scot)

Floor plans

To enable an assessment of the maximum number of guests which can be accommodated safely, and to support the formal consultation with Scottish Fire and Rescue, applicants must submit floor plan(s) for their property. There is no need for professional plans provided that submitted plan (hand-drawn or computer generated) are sufficient in detail to support the application.

The floor plans should include reference to:

Room sizes of all rooms and an indication of room occupancy for bedrooms
The location of any steps, stairs, elevators or lifts in the premises
An indication of the purpose of each room (e.g living room, kitchen, sleeping accommodation)
Fire escape routes
Accommodation intended for guests with mobility impairment
Smoke and heat detector locations
Carbon Monoxide detectors (if an open flued appliance is fitted)

Fees

We are increasing our fees and charges by 6.7% from 1 April 2024 in line with Dumfries and Galloway Council's recently approved Budget for the financial year 2024/25.

What this means for you is that Short Term Lets Licence application fees will increase for a new 3-year licence application or licence renewals from this date. The new fees are listed below:

	Full 3 Year Licence
Maximum Number of Guests	Home sharing and home letting licence	Secondary letting licence	Renewal - Home sharing and home letting licence	Renewal - Secondary letting licence
Up to 6	£293.72	£323.10	£202.14	£222.36
7 to 12	£326.56	£359.31	£224.69	£247.16
13 +	£374.35	£411.70	£269.52	£296.48