With just days to go before Fife Council’s consultation on Short-Term Let (STL) Control Areas closes on Monday 8th September 2025, the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) is urging self-catering operators, tourism businesses, and community members to make their voices heard.
The consultation seeks views on whether parts of Fife should be designated as STL control areas. If approved, such areas would require operators of secondary lets – properties not used as a principal home – to apply for planning permission.
👉 Have your say here before 8th September
👉 ASSC responds to the consultation
👉 Guidance for ASSC Members in responding to the consultation
Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said:
“Fife’s self-catering sector plays a vital and often underappreciated role in sustaining the local economy, supporting over 2,700 jobs and generating £80m every year. The guest spend from self-catering means more money spent in local shops, restaurants, attractions across the region.
While we fully support proportionate and evidence-based regulation, there is currently no clear justification for introducing short-term let (STLs) control areas in Fife. STLs make up just 1% of local housing stock – dwarfed by the numbers of economically inactive empty homes – and there is no data to suggest that self-catering is driving housing shortages. Indeed, there are currently over three times the number of empty homes in Fife compared to STLs.
There is a real risk to local livelihoods and tourism if onerous STL restrictions are imposed without a strong and compelling evidence base. What is required is a holistic, joined-up approach – not scapegoating small and micro businesses that have operated responsibly for years.
We therefore urge anyone who values local tourism to make their voices heard before the consultation closes next week. The ASSC stands ready to work with Fife Council for a balanced policy that protects both communities and local economies.”
The ASSC stresses the importance of ensuring any future regulation is fair, evidence-led, and reflective of the sector’s true impact in Fife. With the consultation deadline fast approaching, operators are strongly encouraged to submit their response to help safeguard the future of self-catering in the region.