How Much Does a Short-Term Let Licence Cost in Aberdeen City Council?

Licence fees

Aberdeen City Council Fees

Published fee table (from the Council's official 'Short Term Lets Licensing Guidance Notes') is banded by guest/occupancy capacity and is IDENTICAL whether the licence is for Home Sharing/Home Letting or for Secondary Letting: 1-2 guests £420; 3-4 guests £630; 5-6 guests £840; 7-8 guests £1,120; 9-12 guests £1,490; 13+ guests £2,980. This fee covers licence processing (incl. public notices and committee referral if needed), the fit-and-proper-person check on everyone named, initial inspection(s) by the Private Sector Housing Team and Scottish Fire & Rescue (up to 2 additional inspections included), and random inspections/enforcement during the licence's life. Fees are reviewed annually and are non-refundable once a licence is granted; a partial refund may be considered if an application is withdrawn before grant, or if an application is refused and that refusal becomes final. The guidance labels this table 'fees for an initial application' - a separate renewal-specific figure is not itemised anywhere in the published guidance, so it is not confirmed whether renewal costs the same as a first application in the same capacity band (see uncertainties).

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

• Completed application form naming the host/operator, all owners (all owners must consent if multiple), all company directors/partners if a business, and the day-to-day manager (who must be named as a licence holder - changing manager later requires a brand new licence)
• Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) checklist, completed by the applicant
• For Secondary Letting: floor plans to a suitable metric scale (preferably 1:50) showing room layout, sanitary ware, cooking facilities, power outlets, lighting points/switches, and the maximum number of guests per bedroom
• Evidence of current insurance: Public/Owner's Liability Insurance with minimum cover of £5m per dwelling, plus valid Buildings/Comprehensive insurance covering the short-term let activity
• Current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), from a NICEIC- or SELECT-registered contractor (renew at least every 5 years)
• Current Portable Appliance Test (PAT) certificate for all plug-in appliances (renew at least annually)
• Gas Safety / Certificate of Compliance for all gas pipes, flues and appliances, from a Gas Safe registered installer (only if premises has a gas supply) - current year plus previous 2 years' certificates needed for renewal
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Legionella Risk Assessment (required regardless of whether premises has a private or mains water supply)
• Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Policy, Fire Action Plan and Fire Log Book (records of alarm/emergency lighting/firefighting equipment testing)
• Record showing upholstered furnishings/mattresses comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988
• Planning permission (granted, or an undetermined application) if the Council's Planning team decides a licence application needs it
• Building Warrant / Completion Certificate if works have required one (e.g. new fire detection/alarm system, new circuits)
• Guest Information Folder kept on-site (certified copy of licence & conditions, fire/gas/electrical safety info, emergency contacts, current gas safety report, EICR, PAT report, EPC)

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Aberdeen City Council licence application must be backed by current safety certificates. These are jobs for a certified assessor, and getting them booked early is the most common thing that holds an application up.

Local conditions

Key Rules in Aberdeen City Council

• No short-term let control area is designated in Aberdeen; the Council states it has no current intention to create one, though it could do so in future if problems emerge.
• Four licence types: Home Sharing; Home Letting; Home Sharing and Home Letting combined; and Secondary Letting - you may only operate the type your licence was granted for, and a separate licence is needed for each individual premises.
• Fee is set purely by guest/occupancy capacity band and is the same amount for Home Sharing/Home Letting as for Secondary Letting.
• Aberdeen City Council does NOT grant temporary licences or temporary exemptions under any circumstance (policy reviewed annually).
• The day-to-day manager (individual or company) must be listed as a named licence holder; because the legislation does not allow licence transfers, changing your day-to-day manager at any point requires a brand new licence application.
• Everyone named on an application undergoes a 'fit and proper person' test.
• Statutory consultees are Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service; a 21-day period is allowed for their representations, and a Public Notice must be displayed at the property for 21 days with a compliance certificate completed online afterwards.
• Public objections must be received in writing (signed) within 28 days of the Public Notice being displayed; any application that receives an objection must go to the Licensing Committee rather than being decided under officer delegated powers.
• Two additional (discretionary) local conditions apply on top of the national mandatory conditions: managing anti-social behaviour (house rules, guest parking, noise) and waste/bin disposal management.
• Operating without a licence is a criminal offence - default fine up to level 4 (£2,500) on the standard scale, though the Scottish Government intends to raise the maximum to £50,000 and add imprisonment as a last resort.
• Listings/adverts must display the licence number and, where required, a valid EPC rating.
• Licences run for up to 3 years; renewal is the licence holder's responsibility, though the Council may send a reminder before expiry.
• Decisions can be appealed to the Sheriff by summary application within 28 days.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Short-Term Let Licences in Other Councils

See all Scottish council STL licence guides →