Short-term let licence

Overview

You need a short-term let (STL) licence if you want to rent out all or part of a home you own. You need to have this licence in place before you take bookings or receive guests.

It can take up to 9 months to process your application. You should bear this in mind when planning a new short-term let.

A full licence is usually granted for up to 3 years. You need to apply for a renewal before your previous licence expires to continue operating lawfully.

It’s a criminal offence to operate a short-term let without a licence. You can be fined up to £2,500 and banned from applying for a licence for one year. During this time, you cannot offer lets while you are banned.

You can read more about the legislation in our short-term let policy.

The Scottish Government's short-term lets information may also help.