Edinburgh's short-term let control area: when you need planning permission

The whole of Edinburgh is a short-term let control area. If you want to let a whole flat or house that is not anyone's main home, you need planning permission, and most applications are refused. Letting your own home while you are away normally does not need it.

Here is how the control area works, and what to do before you buy or convert a property.

What does a control area mean?

A short-term let control area is a planning tool from the Scottish Government. The council designated the whole city as one, and the designation came into effect on 5 September 2022.

Since that date, using a dwellinghouse that is not someone's principal home as a short let counts as a material change of use. That is the planning term for a change big enough to need permission.

Who needs planning permission, and who doesn't?

The council's guidance draws a clear line:

• Secondary letting, meaning a whole home that is not anyone's principal home, needs planning permission if the change of use happened after 5 September 2022.
• Home sharing, where you let part of your home while living there, normally does not need permission.
• Home letting, where you let your principal home while you are away for a limited time, normally does not need permission either.

If you are unsure which group you fall into, you can confirm it through a planning application or a certificate of lawfulness. You still need a short-term let licence in every case. We cover that in short-term let licence in Edinburgh.

What about homes let before September 2022?

If a home was already being used as a short let before the control area started, the council says the change may or may not have needed planning permission. The answer depends on the facts.

A certificate of lawfulness is a formal decision from the council that an existing use is lawful. The council gives examples of when to apply, such as a home used as a short let for more than 10 years with no enforcement action, or where you believe there has been no material change of use.

How are applications judged?

Applications are assessed against the development plan, which includes National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), Scotland's national planning policy. Its policy on short lets, Policy 30(e), says proposals will not be supported if they have an unacceptable impact on local amenity or the character of the area, or if the loss of a home is not outweighed by clear local economic benefits.

The council asks every applicant for a statement on how the proposal complies with Policy 30(e). For flats, the plans must also show how the property relates to the common stair and neighbouring homes.

Are most applications refused?

The numbers are stark. A law firm's analysis reported by Scottish Housing News found that 566 of 632 applications were refused between October 2022 and late 2024, a refusal rate of around 90%. Certificates of lawfulness for existing short lets did better, with around a quarter refused.

Flats in shared stairs are likely to face the hardest test. Policy 30(e) weighs the impact on neighbours, and the council asks to see exactly how a flat relates to the common stair.

Do you need a licence and planning permission?

For secondary letting, the licence application asks for planning permission information. A licence without the planning position sorted does not let you trade lawfully. Get the planning answer first.

What if your application is refused?

Most short-let decisions are made by council officers under delegated powers, so they are subject to review rather than appeal. Your decision letter explains how to ask for one. Take advice before you do, because the grounds for refusal are usually about policy, not paperwork.

What are your options in Edinburgh?

• Let your own home. Home letting and home sharing normally avoid planning permission, and can earn well during the festivals. See our Edinburgh festivals calendar for hosts.
• Buy with permission in place. If you are buying to let short term, check the planning history of the exact property before you commit.
• Choose a different use. If permission is unlikely, a longer let may make more sense than a refused application.

What does this mean for you?

• Letting a whole second home in Edinburgh needs planning permission, and most applications fail.
• Letting your own home is the realistic route for most owners.
• Check planning before you buy, convert or apply for a licence.

Get an honest answer first

We would rather tell you now that your home cannot be let than take your money and hit a refusal later. Our Edinburgh Airbnb management team checks your home's planning position on the free call. Start with a free valuation to see what your home could earn if the answer is yes.

Get my free valuation

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. It is our own interpretation of the rules and figures as they stand on the date shown above, and they can change. Speak to a qualified solicitor or accountant before you act on anything here.