Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics, to 31 March 2023

There has been a total of 2,587 valid applications for short term lets licences received by local authorities up to 31 March 2023, according to statistics published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, with 1,178 applications received during the quarter Oct to Dec 2022 and 1,409 received during Jan to Mar 2023.

Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications from 1 October 2022, although existing hosts and operators have until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue operating whilst their applications are being determined. After this date they will not be able to operate until they make an application and a licence has been granted.

Local authorities with the highest numbers of valid applications received include Highland (920), Dumfries and Galloway (436) and Fife (300), which together account for almost two-thirds (1,656 or 64%) of all valid applications received up to 31 March 2023. There has been a relatively low number of applications for City of Edinburgh (90), Glasgow City (78), and other urban local authorities such as Aberdeen City (32) and Dundee City (18).

Applications as a rate per 10,000 dwellings have been highest in Na h-Eileanan Siar (78 per 10,000 dwellings), Highland (75), Dumfries and Galloway (57) and Orkney (44), whilst there has been a relatively low rate of applications for City of  Edinburgh (3.4), Glasgow City (2.4) and other urban local authorities such as Aberdeen City (2.6) and Dundee City (2.4).

Nearly all (2,569 or 99%) of the total 2,587 valid applications received up to 31 March 2023 have been for a full licence, with 9 (0.3%) being for a temporary licence and 9 (0.3%) being for a temporary exemption.

Information on the provisional or new status of the licence application, as per the quarter the application was received, is available for 2,046 (80%) of valid applications. Of these, 1,788 (87%) have been for provisional licences (i.e. applications from existing hosts) and 258 (13%) have been for new licences (i.e. applications from new operators/hosts or for properties previously unlet before 1st October 2022).

As at 31 March 2023, 1,625 (63%) of the 2,587 valid applications received were awaiting determination, 848 (33%) had been granted with no additional conditions, 102 (3%) had been granted with additional conditions, 12 (0.4%) had been withdrawn, and none had been refused, revoked, suspended or lapsed. Of the 950 applications granted by 31 March 2023, 14 were decided in October to December 2022, and 936 were decided in January to March 2023.

Of the 2,587 total valid applications received by 31 March 2023, the majority (2,107 or 81%) relate to secondary letting (i.e. where a non-primary residence is let out), with 271 (10%) for home sharing, 129 (5%) for home letting, and 80 (3%) for a mixture of home sharing or letting. A total of 1,094 (42%) applications relate to premises which are detached houses, 379 (15%) for semi-detached houses, 289 (11%) for terraced houses, 577 (22%) for self-contained flats, and 248 (10%) for unconventional dwellings.

As at 31 March 2023 there were a total of 2,085 licences or exemptions in operation (covering active licences as well as temporary exemptions), consisting of 943 (45%) full licences, 1,135 (54%) provisional licences pending a final decision, 2 (0.1%) temporary licences, and 5 (0.2%) temporary exemptions.

Accommodation information has been provided for 96% (2,010) of the 2,085 licenses or exemptions in operation, equating to a total of 2,295 accommodation units. Information on the number of bedrooms was provided for all but 1 licence, totalling 5,640 bedrooms, whilst information on the maximum occupancy was provided for all but 3 licences, equating to a total maximum occupancy of 10,969 people.

Background

Short-term let licensing statistics

This is the first statistical publication reporting on the operation of the short term lets licensing scheme under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, and presents information on data collected from local authorities across first two reporting quarters October to December 2022 and January to March 2023.

Future publications are intended to be on a quarterly basis, with the next publication covering the period April to June 2023 planned for around late October 2023.

Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications from 1 October 2022, although existing hosts and operators have until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue operating whilst their applications are being determined. After this date they will not be able to operate until they make an application and a licence has been granted. 

Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.