Short-term let licensing rules come into effect |
Legislation requiring local authorities across Scotland to establish a licensing scheme for short-term lets has now come into effect, with existing hosts and operators given until April 1 2023 to apply for a licence, and with a July 2024 deadline for all short-term lets to be licenced. Housing Secretary Shona Robison said that while the "vast majority" of operators are following safety standards, the new scheme "will support responsible operators and give guests the confidence that their short-term let, be it a flat in Edinburgh, a property for a business trip to the Borders, or a cottage in the Highlands, meets the same set of safety standards". While a number of tourism bodies have criticised the new rules, the Scottish Government has said it will monitor the impact on both hotspot areas and the wider tourism sector. |
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