Policy for Licensing Short Term Lets
As part of the licensing scheme, the Council must publish a licensing policy for short term let licensing in the Inverclyde area. Inverclyde Council have adopted a policy setting out the Council’s approach to the licensing of short term lets in Inverclyde. A copy of the Council’s policy statement, together with mandatory and additional licensing conditions which apply to short term let licences, is available to view, free of charge from the downloads section of this page.
A copy of the Council’s most up to date STL Policy Statement is available on this website to download. This Policy was last reviewed by the Council’s General Purposes Board on 28 November 2024.
This Policy regulates the Council’s licensing scheme in relation to Short-term lets. Please note that Planning Permission or a Certificate of Lawful Use may also be required in addition to a STL licence. An application for Planning Permission or a Certificate of Lawful Use should be made to the Council’s Planning Service. Licensing and Planning are separate legal matters.
Please contact the Council’s Planning Service before submitting a STL licence application to the Council’s Licensing Section to confirm whether Planning Permission or a Certificate of Lawful Use is required. Enquiries should be made by emailing: dmplanning@inverclyde.gov.uk
If you have objected to an application for Planning Permission, that objection will not be shared with the Licensing Section, and vice versa. You will require to lodge separate objections to each application.
Updates to the STL Legislation
The Scottish Government has made further amendments to the legislation concerning the licensing of STLs which came into force on 30 August 2024.
Amongst other updates, the Civic Government ( Scotland) Act 1982 ( Licensing of Short-Term Lets ) Amendment Order 2024 has introduced the following two additional parts to Mandatory Condition 12 ( a full set of Mandatory Conditions and Additional Conditions are provided at the back of the application form):
( g) instructions as to what guests should do in the event that the carbon monoxide alarm sounds;
(h) if there is a mobile gas cabinet heater in the premises, safety instructions as to the operation and movement of that mobile heater.
If you provide a mobile gas cabinet heater at your short-term let premises, you are required to notify us as a matter of urgency so that we can advise further regarding the specific safety requirements.
The 2024 Amendment Order has also introduced new provisions regarding provisional licences and the transfer of applications as set out in the updated Policy. Please note that an application for transfer of the Licence requires to be completed and forwarded to the Licensing Section with supporting documentation.
This policy was last reviewed and updated by the Council’s General Purposes Board on 28 November 2024.
What is a Short-term let?
A “short-term let” is defined within the relevant the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and refers to the use of residential accommodation by a host to a guest, in the course of business, where all of the following criteria are met:
- the guest does not use the accommodation as their only or principal home;
- the short-term let is entered into for commercial consideration;
- the guest is not an immediate family member of the host, an owner or part owner of the accommodation, or sharing the accommodation as part of an arrangement made, or approved by a school, college or university;
- the accommodation is not provided for the principal purpose of facilitating the provision of work or services by the guest to the host, or to another member of the host’s household;
- the accommodation is not excluded accommodation; and
- the short-term let does not constitute an excluded tenancy.
What types of licences can be granted ?
There are four types of licence for short-term let accommodation:
- Secondary letting;
- Home letting;
- Home sharing; or
- Home letting and home sharing
Home sharing and Home letting concern the use of the host’s only principal home.
Secondary letting does not relate to the use of the host’s principal home. It makes use of a separate premises.
Duration of licence
Licences and renewal of licences will be granted for a period of three years unless a different period is granted by the General Purposes Board.
Please refer to the Council’s policy statement for further detail regarding the mandatory and additional licence conditions which apply ,and detail regarding the application process, form, fee and guidance.
Forms and Guidance
Follow the links in the documents section of this page for an application form, a guidance document and a fire safety checklist.
Application Fees
|
Maximum Occupancy applied for (4 or under) |
Maximum Occupancy applied for (5 or more) |
|
| Secondary letting | £450 | £550 |
|
Home letting or Home Sharing (or both) |
£275 | £350 |
Renewal Fees
|
Maximum Occupancy applied for (4 or under) |
Maximum Occupancy applied for (5 or more) |
|
| Secondary letting | £400 | £500 |
|
Home letting or Home Sharing (or both) |
£225 | £300 |
Variation Fees
A variation application will be £75 for all types of STL licences.