Scotland short-term let licence renewal: deadline, late renewal and what to do

The short version

• Find the expiry date on your licence. A licence takes effect when granted and normally lasts three years (Schedule 1, paragraph 8). Your expiry date depends on when your council granted it, so use the date printed on the licence.
• Lodge before it expires. If a renewal is made before the licence expires, the existing licence continues until the council decides (paragraph 8(5)). The application must be on the council’s form, signed and accompanied by the fee (paragraph 1(1)). The Scottish Government guidance says you can apply at any time before expiry and keep letting while it is decided.
• If it expires first, the guidance says a later application is handled as a new application, not a renewal (guidance 6.29). A council may, on good cause shown, treat a renewal made up to 28 days after expiry as made in time (paragraph 8(5A)). It is the council’s choice and the Act does not define good cause.
• Display the 21-day site notice again when you apply to renew, then send the council a certificate (guidance 4.5 to 4.8).
• Keep your evidence up to date. The conditions still apply: annual gas safety inspection, an electrical inspection at least every five years, a legionella risk assessment, fire and carbon monoxide detection, buildings and public liability insurance (Schedule 3 to the Order).

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and covers Scotland only.

What the council checks at renewal

The council checks that the details on your application are still correct, that you are still a fit and proper person, and that the premises still meet the licence conditions (guidance 6.30). It can add or remove conditions when it renews (6.35), may grant a licence for longer than three years where a property has had no issues or complaints (6.36), and will normally grant a renewal where nothing has changed; a change in your premises, your activity or the council’s own policy counts as a change (6.37). If a renewal is refused, you can appeal to the sheriff within 28 days (4.23 and 4.24).

The 21-day site notice

You notify neighbours by displaying a site notice at or near the property, where the public can easily read it. It must say that an application has been made, the type of licence, the applicant’s and any agent’s name and address, the address of the premises and how to object. It stays up for 21 days from the date you applied. Afterwards you send the council a certificate that you did it; the guidance suggests keeping a time-stamped photograph. Objections should reach the council within 28 days of your application, or of the council’s own public notice if that is later. The guidance defines a neighbour only in its glossary (7.1): someone whose permanent residence is close enough to have a legitimate interest in the let. It asks for a site notice, not letters.

When to lodge: what councils publish

Only Edinburgh publishes an earliest date to lodge: six months before expiry. Argyll and Bute recommends about two months before. Dumfries and Galloway sends a reminder three months before. Aberdeenshire says it will contact you and asks you to wait for that before applying, and its online system will not accept a renewal on or after the expiry date. For Highland, Perth and Kinross, Fife and Scottish Borders we found no earliest date. The by-council guide has the detail and the source of each point.

If you miss it

Councils differ. Edinburgh says you cannot apply to renew after expiry, but it will consider a late application up to 28 days after if you explain in writing why, and the decision is final. Argyll and Bute’s policy and Dumfries and Galloway’s policy mention the 28-day route; Aberdeenshire says a late host loses existing-host status and pays the higher new-host fee. Perth and Kinross, Fife and Highland say you cannot let until a licence is granted. Letting without the licence you need is an offence unless you have a reasonable excuse (section 7(1) of the 1982 Act; the maximum fine is level 4 on the standard scale, which is 2,500 pounds).

Sources

Last checked 28 October 2026.

• The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 (SSI 2022/32)
• SSI 2022/32, Schedule 2 (modification of the 1982 Act, including fees and renewal for longer periods)
• SSI 2022/32, Schedule 3 (mandatory licence conditions)
• SSI 2022/32, article 7 (transitional provision for existing hosts)
• Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, Schedule 1 (paragraphs 2, 3 and 8: publicity, objections, duration and renewal)
• Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, section 7 (offences)
• Short term lets: licensing scheme part 1, guidance for hosts and operators, section 4 (how your application will be determined; publicity)
• Short term lets: licensing scheme part 1, guidance for hosts and operators, section 5 (responsibilities upon obtaining a licence)
• Short term lets: licensing scheme part 1, guidance for hosts and operators, section 6 (staying compliant, including renewal)
• Short Term Lets Licensing Scheme Part 2, supplementary guidance for licensing authorities, section 4 (handling licence applications)
• Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 31 December 2025: applications by local area
• Perth and Kinross Council: short-term lets licensing
• Edinburgh policy on late applications, Aberdeenshire renewal page, Argyll and Bute policy, Dumfries and Galloway policy

Changes to this guide

• 28 October 2026: Published as a draft for review.

This guide is general information written from the official sources listed above and checked on 28 October 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and Plainfiles is not endorsed by any government body. Rules change, so check the linked official pages for your own situation. Written and designed by Plainfiles with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, then checked against the official legislation and guidance listed in the sources. How we write and check our guides.