Short term lets new licensing scheme

[Markedforsl]

Can I ask whether anyone is having to deal with this? We have a spare room we advertise on AirBnb (occupied for a few months a year at most) and are considering using it for a lodger at some stage to provide a little retirement income. We're caught by these rules. If you have a lodger, rent a room out on AirBnb, or want to save money by doing a house swop for your holiday, you now have to comply with a large number of onerous and expensive rules to apply for a licence (the application is expected to cost a few £100s, not refundable if it's rejected). Gas safety checks, electrical checks and improvements, environmental inspection report, a check and certificate for every electrical device the lodger can access, taking photos of all fire safety labels on all furniture they can access, even more fire safety stuff than the new fire safety rules brought in recently, having to inform the neighbours and give them the chance to object, house inspections including potentially unannounced visits and even forcible entry, lots of paperwork. And then having to apply for renewals. Plus my area is considering making obtaining planning consent a requirement for everyone caught by the new rules.
This is surely the end of the road for people who just want to make use of a room in their house, and will mean higher prices and less availability for visitors? Scotland is very full this summer, with people complaining about accommodation prices. What will it be like when the rules kick in? Everyone is skint and getting skinter. This has to be seriously bad news for the tourism industry and for Scottish people who like holidaying in Scotland.

You should be able to find a telphone number on your local authority website on their short term licencing page. If you complete the form online there is an option to pay at the end.

Interesting all local authorities have to make available a register of STL applications and their status. There are 274 received to date in just my little corner of the country, none of which have so far been refused....

That information should hopefully be on the Council’s website. Good luck!

I’ve emailed my application and supporting documents to North Ayrshire Council but haven’t been able to pay yet. Options to pay are cheque (I don’t have cheque book); BACS which I think I have to go to bank to arrange instead of being able to do on-line with banking app; or over the phone. There is no direct phone number for Licensing Team, Council switchboard won’t put me through and Licensing Team haven’t returned my calls. They emailed a standard reply to say they’d received my application and they’ll get to it at some point/whenever because they’re overwhelmed with applications just now. No mention of application fee which I said I’d pay over phone and gave my number so they could call me. I tried paying at my local Council office but the one person who works there can’t take payments and could only give me the phone number for the main switchboard!

As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done my bit - even though I think it’s unjust for home swappers like me. If they want their fee, they have my phone number.

Does it show whether they’ve been granted or still being processed?

@Albless It’s shows both, granted or decision pending

Thanks. That’s interesting - I’ll see if I can find info for my area.

I don't know if you've heard but house swapping and the link to the new short term let licensing in Scotland is under scrutiny by Scottish parliament - with it being raised in last week's First Ministers Questions and a response being promised. There is talk about a Ministerial Directive which could take swaps out of the legislation - but definitely nothing definitive as yet.

Another MSP has also raised a question: www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S6W-21311 which is due to be answered by the 3rd of October.

Andy Wightman (a former MSP has also written quite a lot on the issue with his latest blog:
andywightman.scot/2023/09/short-term-lets-the-confusing-case-of-house-swaps/

Oooooh! Thanks for that info. Here’s hoping for a bit of rare common sense! Will have a look at those links and get back in touch with my MSPs.

Glasgow City Council has changed some of its policies on STL which had been deemed to be unlawful.

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-short-term-policy-changed-27753476

The whole thing is just a shambles!

Not stl but still not showing any real analysis of the situation. You only need to look at the history of rent controls in the UK to work out what would happen.

Housing emergency

Yes @Wombat27A - and the proposed legislation about rent controls is awful all round - LL are selling up in droves and the new social housing isn't being built.

Total disaster for renters.