Licensing was introduced in 2022 to provide assurance to guests on safety and quality, such as gas and electrical safety compliance and the suitability of hosts.

The regulations passed by the Scottish Parliament enable:

• Licences to be transferred to a new host, such as when accommodation is sold
• Prospective hosts building a new short-term let to apply for a provisional licence before construction is complete
• Hosts to apply for a maximum of three licence exemptions totalling six weeks in a calendar year

Minister for housing Paul McLennan said: “Short-term let accommodation is vital to Scotland’s tourism sector and wider economy. The short-term lets licensing scheme aims to protect the reputation of responsible operators and ensure the sector is regulated in line with other accommodation such as hotels and caravan parks, giving guests assurance of consistent safety standards.

“The technical updates to the scheme passed by Parliament were introduced in response to engagement with short-term let operators and the wider tourism industry. This will ensure the scheme continues to deliver quality and safety assurance for guests, whilst protecting the needs of local communities.”