Do I need planning permission for a short-term let?

What is a short-term let?

A short-term let is when a host offers accommodation for a short period of time to one or more guests. The accommodation does not become the main residence of the guest. Short-term lets are not the same as private residential tenancies, which require that the tenant occupies the property (or part of it) as their only or principal home. Guests, therefore, do not have the same rights in law as tenants.

When is planning permission needed for a short-term let?

If you are erecting a new building, or siting a pod or cabin, you will need planning permission. The following information relates to the use of existing residential premises but if you want to use any other existing building as a short term let, you will require planning permission.

Planning permission is required for 'development'. The definition of development includes a 'material change of use' of land or buildings, even if there are no physical alterations to the land or building, therefore planning permission is always required for a material change of use.  A change from a flat to a short-term let is always considered to be a material change of use requiring planning permission. For dwellinghouses, the significance of the change must be considered. Also, sometimes a previous planning permission prohibits rental use by a condition on the decision notice and in such cases permission would be required.

There are a number of factors which may affect the Council's consideration of whether the change of use is a material change of use. Factors include a change to local amenity or the character of a neighbourhood or area, safety and impact on immediate neighbours. 

Detailed information on when planning permission is required is available in the Scottish Government's publication Guidance for Hosts and Operators - Short-term lets: planning guidance for hosts and operators. Additionally, we have created a Do I need planning permission for a short term let checklist (PDF) [107KB]  and a  Change of use (short term let) - validation checklist (PDF) [104KB] . If existing hosts and operators are confident that they could evidence there has been continuous use of the property for short-term letting for at least the previous 10 years, then it is unlikely that planning permission for that use would be required.  Existing hosts and operators may wish to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Use (existing) if they want formal confirmation. If you are still unsure if planning permission is required, please use our general enquiry form, giving us as much information as possible.  Alternatively, you can submit a pre-application enquiry to find out the relevant policies and considerations, and if your proposal has the potential to be supported.

For properties located within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park area, the National Park is the planning authority.  This means planning enquiries and applications should be made to them directly.  More information is available on the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park website.  Perth & Kinross Council is the planning authority for the part of our area that also lies within the Cairngorms National Park area so enquiries and applications within that area should be submitted directly to us.

Short-term let licensing scheme

In addition to planning requirements, Perth and Kinross Council established a short-term lets licensing scheme in 2022. More information is available on our short-term lets licensing scheme webpage.

Short-term let control areas

The Town and Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 came into force on 1 April 2021. These Regulations enable planning authorities to designate short-term let control areas. Planning Circular 1/2023: short-term lets and planning explains the process in detail. Within short-term let control areas, planning permission would usually be required for using a house or other structure for short-term lets.

Perth and Kinross Council does not have any designated short-term let control areas as yet but intend to report proposals to Environment and Infrastructure Committee on 28th August 2024. 

What to do if you think a short-term let is being operated without planning permission

If you have reason to believe that a short-term let requires planning permission and this has not been obtained, you can report this to the Council's Planning Enforcement Team by visiting our planning enforcement page and reporting a breach on-line.