Food, Drink & Hospitality

Operating in a short-term let control area

Additional planning requirements in designated short-term let control areas in Scotland, including Edinburgh and parts of Highland.

Scotland
Guide summary

If your property is in a short-term let control area in Scotland, you need planning permission to use it for short-term letting (unless you are home sharing). Apply for planning permission and a short-term let licence from your council. Your licence will not be granted without planning permission.

  • Check if your property is in a control area (Edinburgh or parts of Highland)
  • Apply for planning permission for change of use
  • Apply for a short-term let licence from the council
  • Your licence needs planning permission first
  • Home sharing (you are present) does not need planning permission
  • Home letting (you are away) may need permission depending on frequency
  • Edinburgh is a control area since 5 September 2022
  • Highland (Badenoch and Strathspey Ward) is a control area since 4 March 2024
  • Other Highland wards may become control areas from autumn 2025
On this page
Scotland

Related guides in Licensing & Permits

Some areas in Scotland have been designated as short-term let control areas. In these areas, using a residential property for short-term letting (other than home sharing) is treated as a material change of use, meaning you need planning permission in addition to your STL licence.

What this means for you

If your property is in a control area and you want to operate a secondary let (a property that is not your main home), you must:

  1. Apply for planning permission for change of use from residential to short-term let
  2. Apply for a short-term let licence from the council

Your STL licence cannot be granted unless you have planning permission or a pending application.

Home sharing

If you are sharing your own home while present (home sharing), you do not normally need planning permission, even in a control area.

Home letting

If you let your own home while away (home letting), the need for planning permission depends on the frequency and scale of the letting. Occasional lettings (for example, during the Edinburgh Festival) are less likely to constitute a material change of use.

Further information