Edinburgh Council Short Term Lets Licensing

[Allan336]

It appears this will be in place by April 2023 . Many of us will have to apply for these licences . Has anyone done this or taken professional advice on the subject ?

Information supplied by the council , via Airbnb , indicates that properties which have been holiday lets for more than 10 years can obtain a 'certificate of lawfulness' . This would mean you didn't require a licence . 

I am pursuing this route at the moment . It does mean I will require proof that my property has been used as a holiday flat for this period of time .

Again is anyone in the same situation ?

Not had a whole lot of help from Airbnb so far

[Sybe]

Hi @Allan336 ! It can be quite a challenge to find local Hosts as this is a global forum, so I'd recommend posting your question in one of the local Host Clubs as well.

There seems to be one for Edinburgh as well as Glasgow, perhaps those would be useful! You can find them on the map here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Get-Local/ct-p/en_clubs

[Jackie832]

Hi there, the same here. We are have been listing our spare bedroom in AirBnB which is our primary residence. News reports are stating that we are except from this new rule. However in the Edinburgh Council "home sharing" is still under the short term lets and it looks like we need to apply for a license?

[Helen3]

Have you spoken to the Council /checked the information on their website - this will be likely more reliable than media stories @Jackie832 

[Jackie832]

This is Edinburgh City Council's response:

"Home sharing requires a Short Term Let Licence. However, there is no requirement to apply for a planning permission for change of use."

I then asked further the difference between Short Term Let License and planning permission. Their response is below:

"Planning permission for a change of use is required when you change the use of a building/property

In relation to applying for a Short Term Let licence, planning permission (or confirmation that a planning permission application has been submitted to the planning department) is required if the licence is sought for secondary letting.

If the Short Term Let Licence is sought for home sharing or home letting, there is no requirement to obtain a planning permission to apply for Short Term Let licence.

• Secondary letting - the letting of property where you do not normally live, for example a second home that is let to guests
• Home letting - using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, whilst you are absent. An example of this could be whilst you are on holiday
• Home sharing - using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, whilst you are there
• Home letting and home sharing - operating short-term lets from your own home while you are living there and for periods when you are absent

To make an application please visit:

Licences and permits applications – The City of Edinburgh Council"

[Jackie832]

So I think I will need to apply for a Short Term Lets License which costs £120 per occupant for a 1 yr license. 

[Mo92]

I am in Aberdeenshire, the terms of the licence, as I let in my own home, are going to prohibit me carrying on which is unfortunate to say the least. I have been doing It for a long time and enjoy it but as it is my home the proposed fees and especially obtaining the electric safety, fire assessment means I’d make no profit for he first year or so…I called Airbnb no help at all the handler said it was first she had heard!! 

[Helen3]

So just  to check it's not that you are being prohibited from carrying on doing short term rentals, it's that you don't think it's worth your while paying for the license and getting electric safety, fire assessment safety checks for your property etc  @Mo92 ?

What's the licensing cost for home sharers in your part of Scotland?

I'm not sure what you expect Airbnb to do - they are simply a market channel. I wouldn't expect an Airbnb customer service rep to be familiar with every piece of STR legislation globally.

It's your short term rental business and you need to make a decision as to whether you feel its worth your while applying for a license.

[Allan336]

In my case I would expect Airbnb to supply confirmation that I have been renting my apartment , via them , for more than 10 years . They say they CAN'T.

That is obviously untrue .

Confirmation like this , direct from Airbnb will carry a lot more weight than me listing previous bookings .

Edinburgh policy will be no STL licence issued for places which have a shared entry i.e. tenement flats .

May be wrong but think that will be a high percentage of Edinburgh properties.

My OP was wrong the certificate of lawfulness does not exempt you from requiring a licence 

[Helen3]

Why don't you just go into your payments to show your bookings over the past ten years @Allan336 

[Allan336]

Of course I can but , if you read my post , it would carry more weight coming from Airbnb .

Not sure if you work for them ?

[Helen3]

Yes I did read your post...

Why the sarcastic and rather silly response implying I work for them? If you bothered to read my profile /read some of my previous rather anti Airbnb posts it would be clear that I don't.

Why the assumption it carried more weight coming directly from Airbnb when its clear Airbnb don't provide this information.

You on the other hand as said above can go in and capture your payments record and/or get your accountant to demonstrate STR income through your tax returns. @Allan336 

[Allan336]

No Airbnb WON'T provide the information is the point.

I didn't imply you worked for Airbnb, I asked if you did . The only 2 posts of yours I have seen were unsupportive , pro airbnb . Hence the question.

Airbnb should be pulling all the stops out on this , they're not .

[Lorna170]

@Allan336   I would think that your tax forms showing rental income/ paid taxes for more than 10 years would carry more weight than anything from Airbnb. 

[Allan336]

I want as much ammo as possible.

You'd think Airbnb would be desperate to do everything in their powers to fight this . 

Don't know how many Airbnb lets are in Edinburgh, I'd guess 20k ?

Think the percentage of these with shared entry will be high .

Another guess , 70% .

Happy to be corrected on these figures