Local authority licensing schemes opened to receive applications from 1 October 2022, although existing hosts and operators have had until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence and can continue operating under a provisional licence whilst their applications are being determined. If an application hasn’t been made by this date they will not be able to operate until they make an application and a licence has been granted.

New figures from Scotland’s Chief Statistician revealed that 1,177 applications were received during the quarter Oct to Dec 2022, 1,500 during Jan to Mar 2023, and 2,084 during Apr to Jun 2023.

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%) of all applications received and validated up to 30 June 2023. There has been a lower number of applications for the City of Edinburgh (195), Glasgow City (91), and other urban local authorities such as Aberdeen City (51) and Dundee (28).

Applications as a rate per 10,000 dwellings have been highest in Na h-Eileanan Siar (138 per 10,000 dwellings), Highland (119), Orkney (79) and Dumfries and Galloway (75), whilst there has been a relatively low rate of applications for City of Edinburgh (7.5), Glasgow City (2.8) and other urban local authorities such as Aberdeen City (4.1) and Dundee City (3.7).

Nearly all (4,712 or 99%) of the total 4,761 applications received and validated up to 30 June 2023 have been for a full licence, with 20 (0.4%) being for a temporary licence and 29 (0.6%) being for a temporary exemption.

Information on the provisional or new status of the licence application, as per the quarter the application was received and validated, is available for 3,342 (70%) of valid applications. Of these, 2,838 (85%) have been for provisional licences (i.e. applications from existing hosts) and 504 (15%) have been for new licences (i.e. applications from new operators/hosts or for properties previously unlet before 1st October 2022).

As at 30 June 2023, 2,273 (48%) of the 4,761 applications received and validated were pending determination, 2,140 (45%) had been granted with no additional conditions, 312 (7%) had been granted with additional conditions, 32 (1%) had been withdrawn by the applicant, 4 (0.1%) licences had lapsed, and none had been refused, revoked or suspended.

Of the 4,761 total applications received and validated by 30 June 2023, the majority (3,903 or 82%) relate to secondary letting (i.e. where a non-primary residence is let out), with 491 (10%) being for home sharing, 228 (5%) for home letting, and 139 (3%) for a mixture of home sharing and letting. A total of 2,015 (42%) applications were in relation to lets for detached houses, 702 (15%) for semi-detached houses, 489 (10%) for terraced houses, 1,128 (24%) for self-contained flats, and 427 (9%) for unconventional dwellings.

As at 30 June 2023 there were a total of 3,903 licences or exemptions in operation, consisting of 2,429 (62%) full licences, 1,451 (37%) provisional licences pending a final decision, 6 (0.2%) temporary licences, and 17 (0.4%) temporary exemptions.

Accommodation information has been provided for 95% (3,726) of the 3,903 licenses or exemptions in operation, equating to a total of 4,262 accommodation units. Information on the number of bedrooms was provided for all but 24 licences, totalling 10,777 bedrooms, whilst information on the maximum occupancy was provided for all but 6 licences, equating to a total maximum occupancy of 20,566 people.