Proposals around the Scottish short-term lettings market

The Scottish Parliament has voted to pass an amendment to the Planning Bill affecting short-term lets and there will now be a designated “control area” where ministers can introduce regulation.

Edinburgh landscape

This follows on the amendment that was passed at stage 2 of the Bill that all those who let out their property or a property that was not used as their main residence would have to apply to planning authorities for permission to change the property’s use.

It would then have been the decision of the planners to establish if the change would meet the needs of the community and suitable to be used for short-term lets.

The new amendments are aimed at providing local authorities throughout the Country with a more flexible approach to control certain areas of a City or Town rather than a change being applied to every property that meets the criteria and this was echoed by the comments from Housing Minister Kevin Stewart who said, 'it gives the flexibility in different areas, and gives flexibility to parts of areas within local authorities.'

Details of the Bill can be found below with the short term let amendments being found on page 40.