Where there have been no complaints, the renewal period for secondary short term let licences in Edinburgh is being extended from one to three years.

The change was agreed yesterday (Monday, 19 May) by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Regulatory Committee. Earlier this year the committee made other changes following a consultation with residents and the industry last summer on how the new licensing scheme is working in the Capital.

Cllr Neil Ross Regulatory Convener said: 

“We had always committed to reviewing the licensing scheme after it had been operating for a year and we did that last summer. We made some improvements to our policy at the beginning of year, following feedback from residents and the industry, and this is the final change agreed at Committee. The intention is to make our scheme as fair and reasonable as we can for residents, visitors and operators.

“I will also be writing to the Scottish Government’s Minister of Housing to ask for greater clarity on short term let licensing condition MC13 (planning permission), which some residents and short term let operators find confusing, and to see how this might be addressed.”