There has been a total of 4,761 applications received and
validated by local authorities up to 30 June 2023, according to
statistics published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, with
1,177 received during the quarter Oct to Dec 2022, 1,500 received
during Jan to Mar 2023, and 2,084 received during Apr to Jun
2023.
Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications
from 1 October 2022, although existing hosts and operators have
had until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue
operating under a provisional licence whilst their applications
are being determined. If an application hasn’t been made by this
date they will not be able to operate until they make an
application and a licence has been granted.
Local authorities with the highest numbers of total applications
received and validated include Highland (1,457), Fife (579) and
Dumfries and Galloway (567), which together account for over half
(2,603 or 55%) of all applications received and validated up to
30 June 2023. There has been a lower number of applications for
City of Edinburgh (195), Glasgow City (91), and other urban local
authorities such as Aberdeen City (51) and Dundee (28).
Applications as a rate per 10,000 dwellings have been highest in
Na h-Eileanan Siar (138 per 10,000 dwellings), Highland (119),
Orkney (79) and Dumfries and Galloway (75), whilst there has been
a relatively low rate of applications for City of Edinburgh
(7.5), Glasgow City (2.8) and other urban local authorities such
as Aberdeen City (4.1) and Dundee City (3.7).
Nearly all (4,712 or 99%) of the total 4,761 applications
received and validated up to 30 June 2023 have been for a full
licence, with 20 (0.4%) being for a temporary licence and 29
(0.6%) being for a temporary exemption.
Information on the provisional or new status of the licence
application, as per the quarter the application was received and
validated, is available for 3,342 (70%) of valid applications. Of
these, 2,838 (85%) have been for provisional licences (i.e.
applications from existing hosts) and 504 (15%) have been for new
licences (i.e. applications from new operators/hosts or for
properties previously unlet before 1st October 2022).
As at 30 June 2023, 2,273 (48%) of the 4,761 applications
received and validated were pending determination, 2,140 (45%)
had been granted with no additional conditions, 312 (7%) had been
granted with additional conditions, 32 (1%) had been withdrawn by
the applicant, 4 (0.1%) licences had lapsed, and none had been
refused, revoked or suspended.
Of the 4,761 total applications received and validated by 30 June
2023, the majority (3,903 or 82%) relate to secondary letting
(i.e. where a non-primary residence is let out), with 491 (10%)
being for home sharing, 228 (5%) for home letting, and 139 (3%)
for a mixture of home sharing and letting. A total of 2,015 (42%)
applications were in relation to lets for detached houses, 702
(15%) for semi-detached houses, 489 (10%) for terraced houses,
1,128 (24%) for self-contained flats, and 427 (9%) for
unconventional dwellings.
As at 30 June 2023 there were a total of 3,903 licences or
exemptions in operation, consisting of 2,429 (62%) full licences,
1,451 (37%) provisional licences pending a final decision, 6
(0.2%) temporary licences, and 17 (0.4%) temporary exemptions.
Accommodation information has been provided for 95% (3,726) of
the 3,903 licenses or exemptions in operation, equating to a
total of 4,262 accommodation units. Information on the number of
bedrooms was provided for all but 24 licences, totalling 10,777
bedrooms, whilst information on the maximum occupancy was
provided for all but 6 licences, equating to a total maximum
occupancy of 20,566 people.
Background
The full publication is
available at Short Term Lets Licensing
Statistics, Scotland, to 30 June 2023.
This is the second statistical publication reporting on the
operation of the short term lets licensing scheme under the Civic
Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets)
Order 2022, and presents information on data collected from local
authorities across first three reporting quarters October to
December 2022, January to March 2023, and April to June 2023.
The next quarterly publication covering the period July to
September 2023 is planned to be released around February or March
2024.
Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications
from 1 October 2022, although existing hosts and operators have
had until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue
operating under a provisional licence whilst their applications
are being determined. If an application hasn’t been made by this
date they will not be able to operate until they make an
application and a licence has been granted.
Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for
Statistics.
