Scotland Short-Term Let Licensing

Short-Term Let Licensing Scotland 2026 — Mandatory STL Licence, Edinburgh Control Zone, Planning Permission and Criminal Offence for Unlicensed Operation

Scotland's mandatory STL licensing regime under the Licensing of Short-term Lets (Scotland) Order 2022 (Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 as amended). Four licence types: home sharing (host present in own home); home letting (host absent from own home); secondary letting (property not principal home — includes Airbnb BTL landlords); home letting + home sharing. Criminal offence to operate without a licence. Edinburgh STL control zone (whole city from 5 September 2022): secondary lets also require planning permission for change of use (Class 9 to STL use). Existing operators: apply by 1 October 2023. Mandatory conditions: £2m public liability insurance; gas safety; EICR; smoke/CO alarms; anti-social behaviour management. Distinct from Scottish PRT (residential lets of 6+ months as main home).

9 min readUpdated 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 17 May 2026short-term-letSTL-licensingScotlandAirbnb

The four STL licence types and who needs a licence

Four types of STL licence: (a) home sharing — host lets part or all of own principal home while present; (b) home letting — host lets entire principal home while absent; (c) secondary letting — host lets a property not their principal home (BTL Airbnb landlords); (d) home letting + home sharing — both types at same property. All types require a licence from the local council. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence under s.7(7A) Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Edinburgh STL control zone and planning permission for secondary lets

The City of Edinburgh Council designated the entire Edinburgh local authority area as an STL control zone from 5 September 2022. Within Edinburgh's control zone, secondary lets (property not the host's principal home) require planning permission for a change of use from Class 9 (houses) to short-term let use — in addition to the mandatory STL licence. Home sharing and home letting in a principal home do not require planning permission in the control zone.

Mandatory licence conditions

Mandatory conditions (Schedule 3, LSO 2022 — applicable in every council area): (a) public liability insurance: minimum £2,000,000; (b) fire safety: smoke alarms every floor; heat alarm kitchen; CO alarm where carbon-fuelled appliance; (c) gas safety: current gas safety record from Gas Safe registered engineer; (d) electrical safety: EICR from qualified electrician; (e) planning compliance: use of property must comply with all planning requirements; (f) anti-social behaviour management: reasonable steps to prevent ASB; complaints procedure maintained.

Interaction with Scottish PRT and enforcement

STL licensing and Scottish PRT (Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016) cover different letting types. PRT applies to lets where the property is the occupant's main home (typically 6+ months). STL licensing applies to short-term lets (typically under 31 days per booking; holiday lets; Airbnb). Enforcement: councils can prosecute unlicensed operators (criminal offence); issue compliance notices; attach conditions. Applications and refusals are decided by the council's licensing committee and can be appealed to the Sheriff Court.

Frequently asked questions

Do all short-term let operators in Scotland need a licence?+

Yes — all STL operators across Scotland must hold a valid licence from their local council under the Licensing of Short-term Lets (Scotland) Order 2022. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence under s.7(7A) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. Four licence types: home sharing; home letting; secondary letting; home letting + sharing. Existing operators were required to apply by 1 October 2023.

What is the Edinburgh STL control zone?+

The City of Edinburgh Council designated the entire Edinburgh local authority area as an STL control zone from 5 September 2022. Within Edinburgh's control zone, operators of secondary lets (properties not the host's principal home — including Airbnb BTL landlords) must obtain planning permission for a change of use from Class 9 (houses) to short-term let use, in addition to the mandatory STL licence. Home sharing and home letting in a principal home do not require planning permission.

What is secondary letting and why does it matter for BTL landlords?+

Secondary letting is where the host lets a property that is NOT their principal home — including buy-to-let landlords letting investment properties on Airbnb or other short-term platforms. It is the most significant STL licence type for BTL landlords. Secondary letting within Edinburgh's STL control zone also requires planning permission for change of use in addition to the STL licence.

Does STL licensing apply to the same properties as the Scottish PRT?+

No. The Scottish PRT (Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016) applies where the occupant uses the property as their main home (typically 6+ months). STL licensing applies to short-term lets (typically under 31 days per booking — Airbnb; holiday lets). A let that begins as STL but becomes the tenant's main home may convert to a PRT — landlords should monitor the nature of the occupation.

Templates recommended in this guide

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Landlord Annual Compliance Checklist

Annual walk-through of every compliance touchpoint: gas, electrical, EPC, smoke/CO, Right-to-Rent, deposit, licensing, database registration.

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Hand-picked by topic overlap with this guide.

Section 106 Agreements (TCPA 1990 s.106) · Condition on Planning Permission · Affordable Housing (20-40%; On-Site or In-Lieu) · CIL (Fixed Per-sqm Levy; Cannot Duplicate with s.106) · Three-Test Rule (Necessary; Related; Proportionate) · Viability Assessment (Residual Land Value; NPPF Para 57) · Binds Successors (Local Land Charge) · Modification/Discharge: s.106A After 5 Years · Scotland: s.75 Agreements

Section 106 Planning Obligations — Affordable Housing, CIL, Viability Assessments, Successors in Title and Scotland Section 75

Section 106 planning obligations are legally binding agreements between a local planning authority (LPA) and a developer or landowner as a condition of granting planning permission. They are used to make development acceptable where it would otherwise fail planning policy — typically by requiring affordable housing contributions or infrastructure payments. The affordable housing obligation (20-40% of new residential units above the site threshold, typically 10+ units in urban areas) is the most financially significant. CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy — Planning Act 2008) is a separate fixed levy charged per square metre of new floorspace that cannot duplicate s.106 infrastructure funding (CIL Regulation 122). Every s.106 obligation must pass three tests: necessary; directly related to the development; fairly and reasonably proportionate in scale. Viability assessments (residual land value calculation — NPPF para 57) allow developers to challenge unviable s.106 requirements. s.106 obligations bind all successors in title (registered as local land charges — discoverable on LLC1/CON29). Modification or discharge after 5 years under s.106A (TCPA 1990); appeal to Planning Inspectorate. Scotland: s.75 agreements under TCPA(Scotland) 1997; same principles; CIL not introduced in Scotland.

Planning Law

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Building regulations for landlords UK 2026: building regulations approval (Building Act 1984; Building Regulations 2010) is required for most structural, energy, fire safety, electrical, and ventilation work — separate from planning permission. Key approved document parts: Part B (fire safety — escape routes; fire detection; compartmentation; sprinklers for new builds over 11m); Part L (energy efficiency — U-values for extensions; SAP for new builds; maximum U-values: walls 0.28 W/m²K; roofs 0.18 W/m²K; windows 1.4 W/m²K/Energy Rating C); Part F (ventilation — extract fans; whole-house ventilation to prevent condensation and mould — relevant to Awaab's Law damp/mould obligations); Part P (electrical notifiable work: installing new circuit; replacing consumer unit; work in special location — bathroom; kitchen near sink; garden; garage — must use Part P-registered electrician or notify local authority building control). Planning permission vs building regulations: two entirely separate systems — a landlord may need both, one, or neither. RBCA (Registered Building Control Approver): replaced approved inspector system under Building Safety Act 2022 from 6 April 2024. Completion certificate: issued on completion by local authority or RBCA — needed for sale; remortgage; insurance. Regularisation certificate: available from local authority for certain work done without approval — more expensive; not always available.

England · Planning Permission IS Required (NOT Permitted Development — Material Change of Use from Single C3 to Multiple C3 Dwellinghouses) · Part B Fire Safety; Part E Acoustic (45 dB Rw; 62 dB Ln,w); Part F Ventilation; Part P Electrical · Completion Certificate from BCB or Approved Inspector · Each Flat: Separate Leasehold Title; Service Charge; RMC Structure

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