Short term lets licensing

Further information and guidance

What is a short-term let?

A short-term let is defined in the legislation as the use of residential accommodation provided by a host during business to a guest, where all of the following criteria are met:

  • The guest does not use the accommodation as their only or principal home
  • The short-term let is entered into for commercial consideration
  • The guest is not
    • an immediate family member of the host
    • sharing the accommodation with the host for the principal purpose of advancing the guests education as part of an arrangement made or approved by a school, college or further higher education instituation
    • an owner or part owner of the accommodation
  • The accommodation is not provided for the principal purpose of facilitating the provision of work or services by the guest to the host or to another member of the hosts household
  • The accommodation is not excluded accommodation
  • The short-term let does not constitute an excluded tenancy

Further details can be obtained on the Scottish Government's guidance for hosts operators page.

What are the types you can apply for?

  • Home sharing - means using all or part of your own home for short-term lets while you are there
  • Home letting - means using all or part of your own home for short-term lets while you are absent
  • Secondary letting - means a short-term let involving the letting of property where you do not normally live
  • Home letting and home sharing - means you operate short-term lets from your own home - this is both while you are living there, but also for when you are absent

Guidance on making an objection or representation in relation to a Short Term Let application

If you wish to submit an objection or representation in relation to an application submitted for a short term let licence, further information and guidance on how to do this is available.

Complaints regarding short term let properties:

If a member of the public wishes to report to the Council that a short term let property is operating without a licence or if they wish to report that a licensed property is not complying with the licence conditions, they can do so by reporting this to our Environmental Health short term let team. Their email address is EHSTL@highland.gov.uk and they can investigate such reports further.

Supporting documentation

Related pages