In November 2022, Brodies LLP – a leading law firm in the UK – prepared a legal opinion for the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers regarding planning requirements for short-term holiday letting. You may find this opinion useful in response to any concerns raised by a planning authority regarding your property.
The paper opines that the requirement for planning permission for short-term holiday letting depends on whether the premises are situated within a short-term let control area. Licensing requirements are not made under the planning legislation and are not relevant to determining whether planning permission is necessary.
In all other areas, planning permission is not necessarily required for a change of use to short-term holiday accommodation. In fact, the question of a change in material use depends on the individual circumstancesof each premises and planning authorities must take this into account.