Short Term Lets
What is happening with Short Term Lets in Edinburgh?
Short Term Lets will change from 1st October 2023. Any property in Edinburgh being let on a Short Term Let basis, which include holiday homes, festival letting, ‘Airbnb’ etc, will be required to have a ‘Secondary Letting Licence’.
The City of Edinburgh Council has stated that it believes;
‘tenemental accommodation, or those with a shared main door, are unsuitable for secondary Short Term Letting” and that “there will be a rebuttable presumption …. against the grant of a licence in such circumstances”.
Please see sections 4.13 – 4.16 for the details regarding ‘Tenement /Shared Main Door Accommodation’
What is the definition of a ‘tenement’?
“Tenement” means a building or a part of a building which comprises two related flats which, or more than two such flats at least two of which —
- are, or are designed to be, in separate ownership; and
- are divided from each other horizontally, and, except where the context otherwise requires, includes the solum and any other land pertaining to that building or, as the case may be, part of the building; and the expression “tenement building” shall be construed accordingly.
- In determining whether flats comprised in a building or part of a building are related for the purposes of subsection (1), regard shall be had, among other things, to —
- the title to the tenement; and
- any tenement burdens,
treating the building or part for that purpose as if it were a tenement.
How many STL Licences have been issued?
The City of Edinburgh Council considers each application for a short-term let licence on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a range of factors, including the property location, type, and size, as well as the landlord’s compliance history and any objections or concerns raised by neighbours or other stakeholders.
So far, there have been very few licences granted to ‘Flatted dwelling’ / ‘Secondary Letting’ as can be seen on the Short Term Let Licences Public Register. Columns M and N show the type of premises and short term let type respectively.
It depends. You could move back in, leave vacant/self-use, sell or switch to long-term letting. For most, it will likely be one of the last two of these options.
To find out the potential monthly rental value for your property and to help you decide what to do next, click on the Free Instant Rental Valuation below.
