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What Are The Regulations Of Short Term Letting In Edinburgh?

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Last updated on
January 25, 2023
March 20, 2023

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Edinburgh is a popular destination for tourists, with over 2.2 million people visiting the Scottish capital each year. Airbnb statistics show that Edinburgh is the third most popular destination for UK hosts after London and Manchester. In April 2019, Edinburgh Airport announced that it was planning to build a second terminal in order to cope with growing demand. 

The city has hosted the Commonwealth Games twice, in 1970 and 1986. Scotland's capital is home to over 22,000 businesses owned by women and employs a further 30,000 women. Not only did the city host the Games twice but it also hosted two separate events for wheelchair athletes in 1984 and 1990. In October 2018, Edinburgh became the first city in Europe to trial driverless pods as part of a three-year £4 million project

Why should you choose Edinburgh for short term letting?

Edinburgh is a popular destination for tourists, with over 2.2 million people visiting the Scottish capital each year.

It's also the third most popular destination in the UK for Airbnb hosts, behind London and Manchester. The city has hosted several major sporting events since its inception as an urban settlement in around 1000 AD--including two Commonwealth Games (1986 and 2014) and was selected as one of six candidate cities by FIFA to host Euro 2020 matches before losing out to London. 

In addition to its history as an important trade centre between England and Scotland during medieval times (when it was known as 'Auld Reekie'), Edinburgh Airport recently announced plans to expand its terminal building so that it can accommodate increased passenger numbers resulting from expansion at nearby Glasgow Airport which opened earlier this year following six years' construction work costing £1bn ($1.2bn).

Airbnb statistics show that Edinburgh is the third most popular destination for UK hosts after London and Manchester.

The city has over 2.2 million visitors each year, meaning there's plenty of potential for short term letting in Edinburgh if you're thinking about becoming an Airbnb host.

The city has hosted the Commonwealth Games twice: once in 1970 and again in 2014 (the latter being the first time it had been held outside of England). The event saw athletes competing at venues across Scotland, including Meadowbank Stadium which hosted aquatics events during both competitions.

Edinburgh Airport, located in Scotland, is the busiest airport in Scotland. The new terminal will be built on the site of the old car park, and it's expected to handle more than 10 million passengers a year.

This expansion comes as no surprise when you consider how popular Edinburgh has become over recent years. In fact, if you want to stay close to all that this beautiful city has to offer but avoid having your house filled with noisy tourists at all hours of day or night (and let's face it--who doesn't?), then renting out your home through Airbnb may be just what you need!

Edinburgh is one of Scotland's most popular tourist destinations with over 2.2 million people visiting the Scottish capital each year. It boasts many historic sites such as Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, as well as modern attractions such as Princes Street Gardens which hosts festivals throughout the summer months including Fringe Festival (the world's largest arts festival) and Tattoo (a traditional military display).

Scotland's capital is home to over 22,000 businesses owned by women and employs a further 30,000 women.

Edinburgh's economy is one of the strongest in Scotland, but it's not just men who are benefiting from this. The city is home to over 22,000 businesses owned by women and employs a further 30,000 women.

In fact, Edinburgh has been named as the UK's most entrepreneurial city for women by PwC twice in recent years - no wonder so many travelers want to visit!

Now that we have enough information why Edinburgh can be the next hotspot for Airbnb businesses, let’s take a closer look at the legalities involved in letting a rental place in Edinburgh!

What is a Short term Let?

A short-term let is a property that is rented out for a period of less than 28 days. Short-term lets are often called holiday lets, holiday rentals or vacation rentals.

They may also be known as 'mini hotels' because they provide similar facilities to hotels and guest houses - such as linen and towels - but at much lower costs to the customer.

Short term letting in Edinburgh

Short-term lets, also known as 'holiday lets' or 'vacation rentals', are properties that are rented out by their owners for a fixed period of time. The regulations for these kinds of rentals vary from one city to another.

In Edinburgh, the council controls all short term lets through its private rented sector (PRS) licensing scheme. This means there is a limit on how many properties can be used as holiday lets and where they can be located in relation to other residential homes or businesses. Landlords have to apply for permission before they start renting out their property as a holiday let, which includes paying an annual fee of £1 per week per property (£48 per year).

What are the Regulations for a Short-Term Let in Edinburgh?

As a landlord, you must register your property with the City of Edinburgh Council. This is done online and costs £100 per year. You will also need to apply for a licence if you want to let out any individual rooms or flats within your property (each bedroom counts as one room). If you don't have enough rooms or flats that meet this requirement, then there are different rules depending on whether the entire building is registered as short-term lets or not:

  • If it's not registered as short-term let accommodation then landlords still need permission from their council before they can let out any part of their building as long term rental accommodation - but only if this would result in more than five people living there at once!
  • Alternatively if it does qualify under these rules then landlords won't need any additional permissions from their local authority because they already have permission by virtue of having registered themselves as an STLA operator under section 6(1)(a).

Are there any restrictions on landlords in edinburgh?

There are no restrictions on how often you can rent out your property in Edinburgh. You do, however, need to be registered with the council and have a licence if you want to rent out your property for more than 21 days. If you want to rent out your property for more than 4 people at a time (not including children), then you also need a licence from us before doing so.

Does The Council Control Any Short Term Lets in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh Council do not control any short term lets in the city. They do not have a register of short term lets and they don't collect data on properties being let out for under 90 days at a time.

The council also does not have any list of landlords who are letting their properties out on a short term basis, or any information about these landlords' properties.

Are there any fines for not complying with the regulations of short term letting in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh City Council can impose fines of up to £2,500 on landlords who do not comply with the regulations. The council may also issue a notice requiring the property to be brought into compliance and if this is not done within six months, it can take court action against you.

Short term letting has become very popular but how do you know if your property meets all legal requirements?

Before you start to advertise your property, it's important that you do some research.

You need to check the regulations and make sure that your home is safe for short term letting. Here are some websites where you can find more information about this:

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you some insight into what it means to be a landlord. It's important to understand the legal requirements before you invest in property and start making money as a landlord. If you're looking for more information on short term lets in Edinburgh, then head over to our website where we have plenty more detailed articles about everything from tax implications of owning a property through Airbnb or other similar platforms like Gumtree or Craigslist - plus tips on how not get caught!