Planning permission to be required for short-term letting in Edinburgh

RESIDENTIAL property in Edinburgh that owners wish to let on a short-term basis, such as holiday letting, will soon have to first receive planning permission.

It follows Scottish Government approval of a request from the capital’s local authority.

In a Scottish Government announcement, here, the Scottish Government Housing Secretary, Shona Robison, is quoted as saying: “Edinburgh was the first local authority in Scotland to propose a Short-Term Let Control Area and Scottish Government approval represents a major step forward.”

Adds the announcement: “The control area covers the entire City of Edinburgh Council area. Where a dwellinghouse is in a control area, a change of use to secondary letting will always require planning permission unless the exceptions set out in legislation apply.

“Where the change of a dwellinghouse to a short-term let took place before the designation of the control area the existing planning rules will apply. These require planning permission for a change of use of property where that change is a material change in the use of the property.”

It is expected the scheme will launch next month, September.

Says the local authority, here: “This means the change of use of an entire dwelling, that is not someone’s principal home, to a short-term let will require planning permission. It does not apply to home sharing or home letting.”

Picture credit: Place Design Scotland