Short-term let licence in Edinburgh: types, costs and how to apply

Every short let in Edinburgh needs a licence from the council before you take a single booking. That includes a spare room in your own home. Letting a whole second home also needs planning permission, which is a separate hurdle with its own rules.

Here is how the licence works, what it costs in 2026/27, and what to have ready before you apply.

Who needs a short-term let licence in Edinburgh?

Scotland's licensing scheme for short lets comes from the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022. The scheme started on 1 October 2022. The council is clear that you need a licence before you can take bookings or receive guests.

A short let here means letting accommodation to a guest who does not live there as their main home, whether that is a whole flat or a single room.

What are the four types of licence?

The council issues four types of short-term let licence:

• Secondary letting. Letting a property where you do not normally live, such as a second home let to guests.
• Home letting. Letting all or part of your own home while you are away.
• Home sharing. Letting all or part of your own home while you are there.
• Home letting and home sharing. A mix of both, for hosts who sometimes stay and sometimes go away.

Choose the type that matches how you really use the home. It decides the fee, the length of the licence and whether you also need planning permission.

What does a licence cost in 2026/27?

These are the council's fees for 2026/27:

• Home sharing: £120 for a new licence and £120 to renew.
• Home letting, or home letting and home sharing: £120 per guest the home can sleep for a new licence, and £360 per guest to renew for three years.
• Secondary letting: from £653 a year for a home sleeping 1 to 3 guests, rising to £5,869 for 21 or more. A three-year renewal runs from £1,053 to £6,869.
• Temporary licences and exemptions: from £250 for up to 5 guests, £350 for 6 to 10, and £600 for 11 or more. Home sharing temporary licences cost £120.

The council says all licence application fees are non-refundable, so get the application right first time.

How long does a licence last?

Under the council's licensing policy, a new secondary letting licence lasts one year. Renewals can then be granted for one or three years. Home letting and home sharing licences last three years.

The council states that a licence has to be renewed before it expires, and lets holders apply up to six months before expiry. An application made up to 28 days late is treated as a late application, and your old licence only carries on if the council accepts you had good cause for the delay.

What do you need to apply?

Applications are made online. The council does not accept paper forms, cash or cheques. You will need these documents:

• floor plans of the property on A4
• an annual gas safety certificate, if the home has gas
• a portable appliance test (PAT) certificate
• a current electrical installation condition report (EICR)
• the council's fire safety checklist and self-declaration checklist
• planning permission information, for secondary letting only
• the correct fee

Allow time. Booking gas, electrical and appliance checks can take weeks, and the floor plans need to be accurate. Keep copies of every certificate in one place, because you will need them again at renewal.

Which conditions must you keep to?

Every licence comes with mandatory conditions set by the Scottish Government, covering things such as fire, gas and electrical safety, insurance, occupancy, and showing your licence number in listings and adverts. The council can add its own conditions on top.

The council states that these are not one-off checks: a licence holder has to keep meeting them for as long as the licence lasts.

Is a licence the same as planning permission?

Licensing and planning are two separate requirements. The whole of Edinburgh is a short-term let control area, and letting a whole home that is not anyone's main home needs planning permission as well as a licence. We explain how that works, and why so many applications fail, in Edinburgh's short-term let control area explained.

What does this mean for you?

• You need a licence before you take any booking, even for a spare room.
• Letting your own home is far cheaper to license than a second home, and normally avoids planning permission.
• Diary your renewal date and apply early. Late applications put your licence at risk.
• The council also states that licensed operators have to collect Edinburgh's visitor levy. See the Edinburgh visitor levy explained.

Let us handle the licence

Our Edinburgh short-let management team checks which licence you need, gathers the certificates and keeps you on the right side of the conditions. Start with a free valuation and we will tell you honestly whether your home can be let, and what it could earn.

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.