Contents
Status at 28 October 2026: read from each council’s own pages
These are the councils with the most valid applications to 31 December 2025 (Scottish Government statistics): Highland, Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Dumfries and Galloway, Aberdeenshire and Scottish Borders. Councils change fees (many on 1 April) and forms. Open your own council’s page before you apply. Fife’s website blocked our automated check, so no Fife fee figures are printed.
The short version
- There is no national renewal fee or checklist. Each council sets its own. In the councils read, the renewal fee was the same as the new-application fee, except Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire, which publish different renewal figures.
- 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.
- The last day to lodge is before the licence expires. Aberdeenshire says the day before.
- Councils differ on a late renewal. The 1982 Act lets a council treat a renewal made up to 28 days late as in time if good cause is shown. Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute (policy) and Dumfries and Galloway (policy) mention it. Highland, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Aberdeenshire and Scottish Borders publish no such route.
- Where a council publishes nothing, this guide says Not published. It does not copy another council’s rule.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and covers Scotland only.
When to lodge and what each council says about a late renewal
| Council | Earliest to lodge | Last day to lodge | If you are late (published) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | Not published. The council gives no earliest date. | Before the expiry date on the licence. The council says checking the expiry date is the licence holder’s responsibility. | Council says it is unlawful to carry on letting after the expiry date if you have not applied to renew. It publishes no late-application route and does not say what fee then applies. |
| Edinburgh | Six months before the licence expires. | Before the licence expires. The council says you cannot apply to renew after it has expired. | A late application up to 28 days after expiry is considered only if the council accepts good cause shown in writing; the decision is final with no appeal. Otherwise the property is unlicensed. |
| Argyll and Bute | Not published. The council recommends applying about 2 months before expiry. | Before the existing licence expires. | Policy 8.5: an application after expiry is treated as an initial licence and you are unlicensed until it is issued. The council may, on good cause shown, treat an application up to 28 days after expiry as a renewal. The web page does not say this. |
| Fife | Not published in the sheet we could read. It recommends applying as soon as reasonably possible before expiry. | Before the previous licence expires. | If the licence lapses before you apply, the application is treated as a new application and you must stop taking bookings. If you applied in time, you may keep letting until the renewal is decided. Source: Fife renewal sheet, dated 1 August 2025. |
| Perth and Kinross | Not published. The council may send reminder notices (policy 8.12). | Before the expiry date. The council says it ultimately is the licence holder’s responsibility. | Policy 8.12: if the expiry date passes first, the application is treated as a new application. Policy 3.3: no one may take bookings or have guests stay until a licence is granted. |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Not published. The council sends a reminder 3 months before expiry. | By the expiry date. A council news item says renewals are due three years from the date the original licence came into effect. | Policy section 11: a renewal made before expiry, or on cause shown up to 28 days after, keeps the existing licence in effect until a decision is made. The council does not say what happens later than that. |
| Aberdeenshire | Not published as a period. The council says it will contact you before expiry to say it is time to apply, and asks you to wait for that before applying. | The day before the licence expires. The online system will not accept a renewal on or after the expiry date. | The council says you lose existing-host status, must apply as a new host and pay the higher application fee. A host who applied before expiry may keep operating while the renewal is decided. |
| Scottish Borders | Not published. | Before the existing licence expires (the page says renewals must be timeously made and prior to the expiry date). | The renewals page says only that failure to renew in time will have ramifications for your business operation. It does not say what they are. Policy statement 8.2: a renewal made in time keeps the existing licence in effect until it is decided. |
Documents, site notice and planning at renewal
The Scottish Government guidance says you must display a 21-day site notice again when you renew, and the certificate of compliance follows. The mandatory conditions in Schedule 3 to the 2022 Order apply to every council: 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. What a council asks you to upload at renewal differs.
| Council | Gas, EICR and PAT | Other documents and insurance | Site notice at renewal | Not published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | Gas: Annual (Gas Safe engineer, if gas). EICR: Within the last 5 years where guests can use electrical fittings. PAT: Declaration that PAT is done; no upload listed; no age given. | EPC: declaration if one is required. Legionella: do it yourself or with the council template; no upload stated. Fire risk assessment: complete it, do not submit it. Buildings and public liability: declaration; no minimum level published. | Yes. The policy says every applicant, including for renewal, displays a notice for 21 days and sends a compliance certificate afterwards using the council template. | Not stated whether the Documents you need list must be uploaded again at renewal. |
| Edinburgh | Gas: Annual certificate, uploaded. EICR: Within the last 5 years, uploaded (not needed where guests have no electrical fittings). PAT: Current PAT certificate, uploaded; no period given. | Floor plan and fire safety checklist uploaded at renewal. Legionella, public and buildings insurance, EPC and emergency lighting (secondary letting, 5 or more occupants) are tick-box declarations on the self-declaration form. The policy (4.4) also says you must hold a current fire risk assessment; the form has no tick for it. Insurance levels not published. | Yes. 21 consecutive days from the day you lodge, then return the compliance notice to licensing (post or email). If you do not, the council may make you display it again for 21 days. | No renewal-only planning rule published. Insurance levels, and age limits for PAT, legionella and EPC, not published. |
| Argyll and Bute | Gas: Annual, dated within the last 12 months, uploaded. EICR: Within the last 5 years, uploaded. PAT: PAT report uploaded; appliances date-labelled and signed; no age given. | Also uploaded: floor and site plans, SFRS fire safety checklist, public liability and buildings insurance certificates, legionella risk assessment. EPC valid within 10 years if required (tick-box). Insurance level not published. | Yes. The council’s notice template has a Renewal tick box. Display for 21 days, then return the certificate of compliance. | Whether the pre-application checklist documents all apply again at renewal (the checklist does not say), including unchanged plans; earliest date to lodge. |
| Fife | Gas: Current annual certificate, attached. EICR: Current EICR, attached; age not stated in the sheet. PAT: PAT report attached; age not stated. | EPC, buildings insurance, public liability insurance and legionella assessment: give the expiry date only; no upload. No minimum insurance level found. | Yes. Public notice for 21 days. The renewal sheet (dated 1 August 2025) asks for the certificate of compliance when the notice period ends and within 7 days of it ending. | Everything on fife.gov.uk itself (fees, policy, planning). |
| Perth and Kinross | Gas: Within the last 12 months. EICR: Within the last 5 years; the checklist adds requirements for the report’s contents. PAT: At least every 12 months, or as the previous PAT report specifies. | EPC valid within 10 years where a dwellinghouse is let. Public liability at least 5 million pounds (other liability cover not accepted); buildings insurance valid for the licence. Legionella: give the date last completed. | Yes. The guidance says you notify neighbours again when you renew: notice for 21 days at the property, then a certificate of compliance; time-stamped photos suggested. | Whether certificates are uploaded or only declared at renewal; legionella and fire age limits. |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Gas: Not published for renewal. The Order requires an annual inspection. EICR: Not published for renewal. The Order requires one at least every 5 years. PAT: Not published for renewal. | Only a floor plan is named (page says required with every application). No renewal checklist for gas, EICR, EPC, legionella or insurance level. | Policy 7.2 covers all applicants and does not name renewals. The Act requires the notice for every renewal (Schedule 1, paragraph 2(2)), whatever the council’s page says. | Almost everything is not on its web pages or policy: ask the council which documents it wants at renewal. Its online form was not read (sign-in). |
| Aberdeenshire | Gas: Within 12 months, uploaded. EICR: Within 5 years, uploaded. PAT: Within 12 months, uploaded. | EPC uploaded (secondary lets only). SFRS fire safety checklist uploaded. Public or property owners liability of at least 2 million pounds and buildings insurance evidence uploaded. Private water test results from the last 12 months where applicable. Fire risk assessment and legionella assessment: keep on the premises, not submitted. | Yes. 21-day public notice and a certificate of compliance. | The online renewal form needs a myAberdeenshire sign-in and was not read. |
| Scottish Borders | Gas: Annual inspection (conditions page); upload where applicable; no age given. EICR: At least every 5 years; uploaded. PAT: Uploaded; no age given. | Public liability at least 5 million pounds and buildings insurance uploaded. Floor and site plans uploaded. Legionella risk assessment and SFRS fire safety checklist listed. Private water results and EPC where applicable. | The FAQ gives the 21-day notice for applications and does not say specifically for renewals. The Act requires it for every renewal (Schedule 1, paragraph 2(2)). Do not return the certificate before the 21 days end. Photograph the notice. | Age limits for gas, PAT and EPC uploads; whether the notice applies to renewals. The online form needs a sign-in and was not read. |
Renewal fees by council
Fees are in pounds, copied from each council’s own fee page or schedule. A fee here is what the council published, not a quote.
Highland
Bands are guest capacity, not counting children under 2. Same figure for a new application and a renewal. Fee page last modified 14 August 2025; the policy statement (amended 24 February 2026) shows the same figures. No fee date or future change published. Source: Highland fee page and policy statement.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home sharing or home letting | 1 to 2 occupants | 320 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 3 to 6 occupants | 390 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 7 to 9 occupants | 460 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 10 or more | 530 |
| Secondary letting | 1 to 2 occupants | 400 |
| Secondary letting | 3 to 6 occupants | 470 |
| Secondary letting | 7 to 9 occupants | 540 |
| Secondary letting | 10 or more | 610 |
Edinburgh
Fee schedule headed Valid - 2026/27. Bands are maximum occupancy, not counting children under 10. Secondary letting renewal can be for 1 year or 3 years.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary letting, 1 year | Max occupancy 1 to 3 | 653 |
| Secondary letting, 1 year | 4 to 5 | 1,089 |
| Secondary letting, 1 year | 6 to 10 | 2,481 |
| Secondary letting, 1 year | 11 to 15 | 3,872 |
| Secondary letting, 1 year | 16 to 20 | 5,264 |
| Secondary letting, 1 year | 21 or more | 5,869 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | Max occupancy 1 to 3 | 1,053 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | 4 to 5 | 1,489 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | 6 to 10 | 2,881 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | 11 to 15 | 4,272 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | 16 to 20 | 5,664 |
| Secondary letting, 3 years | 21 or more | 6,869 |
| Home letting, and home letting and home sharing (3-year renewal) | Per occupant | 360 per occupant |
| Home sharing (3-year renewal) | Flat fee | 120 |
| Property with a current HMO licence | n/a | 120 |
Argyll and Bute
Fees and charges schedule 2026-27; renewal fee is the same as the new fee. 3-year licence. Bands are guest capacity, counting children under 10. The 2026-27 figures are 6% higher than 2025-26.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home sharing or home letting | Up to 4 guests | 285.30 |
| Secondary letting | Up to 4 guests | 398.95 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 5 to 8 guests | 398.95 |
| Secondary letting | 5 to 8 guests | 570.60 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 9 to 12 guests | 627.40 |
| Secondary letting | 9 to 12 guests | 855.95 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 13 to 20 guests | 799.15 |
| Secondary letting | 13 to 20 guests | 1,141.30 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 21 or more | 1,027.65 |
| Secondary letting | 21 or more | 1,426.60 |
Fife
Not shown. Fife’s fee schedule (April 2026) is on fife.gov.uk, which blocked our automated check on 28 October 2026. We found fee figures only in search summaries and do not print them. Check the council’s fee page.
Perth and Kinross
One New/Renewal fee per 3-year licence. The scheme of charges is headed effective 1 April 2026 and shows the same figures as the fee schedule created in September 2024.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary letting | 1 to 2 guests | 350 |
| Secondary letting | 3 to 6 guests | 530 |
| Secondary letting | 7 to 10 guests | 900 |
| Secondary letting | 11 or more | 1,600 |
| Home letting, home sharing, home letting and home sharing | 1 to 2 guests | 175 |
| Home letting, home sharing, home letting and home sharing | 3 to 6 guests | 265 |
| Home letting, home sharing, home letting and home sharing | 7 to 10 guests | 450 |
| Home letting, home sharing, home letting and home sharing | 11 or more | 800 |
Dumfries and Galloway
The page says renewal fee rates are the same as new. 3 years. No effective date is printed on the main fee table.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home sharing or home letting | Up to 6 guests | 324 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 7 to 12 guests | 361 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 13 or more | 413 |
| Secondary letting | Up to 6 guests | 357 |
| Secondary letting | 7 to 12 guests | 397 |
| Secondary letting | 13 or more | 454 |
Aberdeenshire
Page says the current fees apply until 31 March 2027. The new-host fee is higher: see the What If I Miss It sheet.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home sharing or home letting | 1 to 2 guests | 331.75 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 3 to 4 guests | 433.50 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 5 to 9 guests | 545.75 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 10 to 15 guests | 652.75 |
| Home sharing or home letting | 16 or more | 824 |
| Secondary letting | 1 to 2 guests | 433.50 |
| Secondary letting | 3 to 4 guests | 578 |
| Secondary letting | 5 to 9 guests | 738.50 |
| Secondary letting | 10 to 15 guests | 824 |
| Secondary letting | 16 or more | 920.25 |
Scottish Borders
One New and renewal table by guest capacity; the page does not split by licence type and prints no date. 3 years.
| Licence type | Guests or band | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| All licence types | 1 to 3 guests | 417 |
| All licence types | 4 to 6 guests | 465 |
| All licence types | 7 or more | 537 |
What if you miss it
If you lodge before the licence expires, the existing licence continues until the council decides (Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, Schedule 1, paragraph 8(5)). If it expires first, the Scottish Government guidance says a later application is handled as a new application. A council may treat a renewal made up to 28 days late as in time on good cause shown (paragraph 8(5A)), but that is its choice. Our pack has a day-by-day sheet and two email templates for this.
Frequently asked questions
Is the renewal fee the same as the new fee?
At Highland, Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders the page we read gives one figure for new and renewal. Aberdeenshire’s renewal fee is lower than its new-host fee and Edinburgh lists separate renewal figures. We did not read Fife’s fee table.
Can I apply to renew early?
Only Edinburgh publishes an earliest date: six months before expiry. Elsewhere it is not published. Ask the council, using the template in our pack, or follow its recommendation (Argyll and Bute: about two months before).
Do I need the site notice again at renewal?
Yes. The Act requires the notice for every renewal (Schedule 1, paragraph 2(2)) and the Scottish Government guidance says to display a site notice for 21 days again when you apply to renew (4.5 and 6.32). Highland, Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire and Fife say so for renewals. The Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders pages do not mention renewals specifically.
Do I need planning permission to renew?
It depends on whether your property is in a short-term let control area and whether permission is needed. The whole of Edinburgh and Badenoch and Strathspey in Highland are control areas now. Highland has proposed two more (Inverness City and Highland Rural) and sent them to Scottish Ministers, Argyll and Bute is consulting on four, and Perth and Kinross has agreed to ask Ministers to approve one: check the council. The Scottish Government guidance for councils says refusing to consider an application on planning grounds should not be used at renewal, but a council may refuse a renewal on planning grounds if it has good reason.
Sources
Last checked 28 October 2026.
- Highland (read 28 October 2026): renew your short-term let licence; short-term let licence fees; documents you need for a short-term let licence; short-term lets licensing policy statement; declarations you must make for a short-term let licence; council agrees to submit short-term let control area proposals to Scottish Ministers (28 September 2026)
- Edinburgh (read 28 October 2026): short term let licence; licence application fees and charges 2026/27; short term lets licensing policy; short term let guidance notes; policy on late licence renewal applications; public notice and certificate of compliance form; short term let document self-declaration checklist (v2, June 2025); short-term lets and planning
- Argyll and Bute (read 28 October 2026): short term lets licence; short-term lets licensing policy statement V5 (17 October 2025); fees and charges schedule 2026-27; consultation on a proposed short-term let control area
- Fife (read 28 October 2026): short-term let renewal process (council-authored sheet, hosted on industry.welcometofife.com); Fife’s own fee, policy and application pages on fife.gov.uk (not read: the site blocked our automated check)
- Perth and Kinross (read 28 October 2026): short-term lets licensing; short-term lets licensing policy statement (10 March 2025); scheme of charges (charges effective 1 April 2026); short-term lets pre-application checklist (19 December 2025); short-term lets information and guidance (19 December 2025); short-term lets and planning
- Dumfries and Galloway (read 28 October 2026): apply for a short-term let licence; short term lets licence renewals (news item, 11 November 2025); short-term lets licensing policy statement (committee paper, appendix 3); planning guidance for short-term lets
- Aberdeenshire (read 28 October 2026): short-term lets, apply or renew
- Scottish Borders (read 28 October 2026): short-term lets renewals; short-term lets application fees; short-term lets licensing policy statement (section 8.2: licence continues when a renewal is made in time); short-term lets pre-application checks and documents; short-term lets mandatory conditions; short-term lets frequently asked questions
Law and guidance:
- 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
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.