Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 31 March 2023

Applications received

There have been a total of 2,587 valid applications received between the opening of the licensing scheme on 1 October 2022 up to 31 March 2023.

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. Local authorities with the lowest numbers include Inverclyde (1), East Renfrewshire (2) and Stirling (3). There was a relatively low number of applications for both City of Edinburgh (90) and 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).  There was a relatively low rate of applications for both City of  Edinburgh (3.4) and Glasgow City (2.4) and other urban local authorities such as Aberdeen City (2.6) and Dundee City (2.4). Table 2 and Map A below present information on the rates of applications received per 10,000 dwellings across different local authority areas.

Note that the rates per 10,000 dwellings figures are based on a comparison to the total number of residential dwellings as from National Records of Scotland dwelling estimates for 2022. This provides an indication of the scale of short term let applications to total residential dwellings in each area, although isn’t a fully like-for-like comparison given that not all short term let dwellings will necessarily be residential dwellings, such as yurts or camping pods in a field.

Table 2: Total valid applications received to 31 March 2023 per 10,000 dwellings, by local authority, ordered by highest rates per 10,000 dwellings (dwellings figures based on the total number of residential dwellings from National Records of Scotland estimates for 2022)

Map A: Valid applications received per 10,000 dwellings as at 31 March 2023, by local authority area (dwellings figures based on the total number of residential dwellings from National Records of Scotland estimates for 2022)

Information on the number of applications received can also be presented at smaller geographies such as by statistical data zone area, based on the property address postcode. Statistical data zones are the key geography for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland, designed to have roughly standard sized populations of 500 to 1,000 household residents.

Table 3 in the supporting documents Excel workbook lists the number of valid applications received by individual data zone area, along with the corresponding rates per 1,000 dwellings. A total of 957 data zones have had at least one valid application received to 31 March 2023, which equates to 14% of the total 6,796 data zones in Scotland.

The data zones with the highest rates of applications received per 1,000 dwellings are summarised in Table 2 below.

Table 3: Total valid applications received to 31 March 2023 per 1,000 dwellings, by data zone area, areas with highest rates per 1,000 dwellings (dwellings figures based on the total number of residential dwellings from National Records of Scotland estimates for 2022)

The supporting documents Excel workbook Scotland Summary Table A provides information on the applications received by type of licence. Of the total of 2,587 valid applications received up to 31 March 2023, nearly all (2,569 or 99%) have been for a full licence, with 9 (0.3%) being for a temporary licence and 9 (0.3%) being for a temporary exemption.

For applications received from an existing operator/host before 1 October 2023, the application receives a provisional licence under which the host can continue operating until a determination is made. When an application which has received a provisional licence is granted, the provisional licence is changed to a full licence.

For applications received from new operators/hosts and for properties that were previously unlet before 1st October 2022, no provisional licences are issued and these properties can not be let out until a licence is granted.  

Of the 2,569 valid applications received for a full licence, 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%) 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).

Chart 1 below illustrates the numbers of applications received each quarter by type of let and premises. Of the total 2,587 valid applications received by 31 March 2023, the majority (2,107 or 81%) relate to secondary letting, with 271 (10%) for home sharing, 129 (5%) for home letting, and 80 (3%) for a mixture of home sharing and letting.

A total of 1,094 (42%) applications were in relation to lets for 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 such as yurts or camping pods etc.

The numbers of applications received by type across each quarter seem broadly similar over the two quarterly time periods, although with some increases seen over the latest quarter January to March 2023 in the number of applications for self-contained flats and for letting categories other than home sharing.

Chart 1: Valid applications received each quarter, by type of premises and let

Tables A and B in the supporting Excel document show the number of applications received by each local authority, by type of premises and type of let respectively.

This shows some variations in the proportions of types of premises across different local authority areas, some of which may reflect different underlying profiles of total dwellings in each area. For example 82% of applications received in Na h-Eileanan Siar have been in relation to lets for detached houses, whilst 72% of applications in Aberdeen City and Dundee City, and 64% of applications in Edinburgh, have been in relation to self-contained flats.

In terms of types of let, only 13% of applications received in Edinburgh, 21% of applications received in Glasgow, and 36% of applications received in Midlothian, have been for secondary letting, with these areas having higher proportions of applications across the total remaining home sharing / letting categories. In particular, 59% of applications in Glasgow were for home sharing.