Highland Council receives most short term lets licence scheme applications
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There have been 4,761 short-term lets licensing applications received and validated by Scottish local authorities up to the end of June, according to latest figures.
A total of 1,177 were received during the quarter October to December, last year; 1,500 for the period January to March, earlier this year, and 2,084 received during this April to June.
By far the most applications have been submitted to Highland Council.
Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications from the start of October, last year, although existing hosts and operators have had until October 1, this year, to make their applications.
They can continue operating under a provisional licence whilst their applications are being determined.
If an application has not 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 per cent) of all applications received and validated up to 30 June.
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).
As at 30 June 2023, 2,273 (48 per cent) of the 4,761 applications received and validated were pending determination and 2,140 (45 per cent) had been granted with no additional conditions.
A total of 312 (seven per cent) had been granted with additional conditions while 32 (one per cent) had been withdrawn by the applicant and four (0.1 per cent) of licences had lapsed, and none had been refused, revoked or suspended.
Of the 4,761 total applications received and validated by 30 June, the majority (3,903 or 82 per cent) relate to secondary letting (i.e. where a non-primary residence is let out), with 491 (10 per cent) being for home sharing; 228 (five per cent) for home letting and 139 (three per cent) for a mixture of home sharing and letting.
A total of 2,015 (42 per cent) applications were in relation to lets for detached houses, 702 (15 per cent) for semi-detached houses, 489 (10 per cent) for terraced houses, 1,128 (24 per cent) for self-contained flats and 427 (nine per cent) for unconventional dwellings.
