Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

How Much Does a Short-Term Let Licence Cost in Dumfries and Galloway Council?

Application fees in Dumfries and Galloway Council run £324–£454, plus the safety certificates every Scottish short-term let needs. Confirm current fees on the official council page.

Licence valid 3 years Mandatory since Oct 2023

Licence fees

Dumfries and Galloway Council Fees

Fee band	Application	Renewal
Home Sharing/Home Letting – up to 6 guests	£324	£223
Home Sharing/Home Letting – 7 to 12 guests	£361	£248
Home Sharing/Home Letting – 13+ guests	£413	£298
Secondary Letting – up to 6 guests	£357	£246
Secondary Letting – 7 to 12 guests	£397	£273
Secondary Letting – 13+ guests	£454	£327
Confirmation of a provisional licence (flat fee, on top of provisional fee already paid)	£79	—
Licence transfer (flat fee)	£79	—

Fees are banded by MAXIMUM GUEST CAPACITY and split by let type (Home Sharing/Home Letting vs Secondary Letting). Provisional licences (for properties not yet built/ready) are charged at the same rate as the equivalent full 3-year licence band. A separate £79 fee applies to (a) confirming a provisional licence once complete and (b) transferring a licence to a new licence holder — both stated as 'effective 1 April 2026' on the council's page (i.e. current as of today). All fees are non-refundable once submitted. Council fees and charges were increased by 6.7% from 1 April 2024; the figures below are the council's currently published rates.

No separate planning permission needed

Dumfries and Galloway has NOT designated any Short-Term Let Control Area (whole-council or partial). The council's own guidance states explicitly: "There are currently no Short Term Let Control Areas in Dumfries and Galloway." This means the automatic "always material change of use = always needs planning permission" rule that applies in a control area does NOT apply here. Planning permission may still be needed for a given let, but only if the council's planning team decides it is a "material change of use" on a case-by-case basis (factors: property character/bedroom count, frequency of guest turnover, likelihood of forming a single household, noise/parking/waste impact, use of shared/communal areas). Planning permission is ALWAYS required regardless of control-area status where a new building/structure is erected for STL use, or a garden building (garage, shed, pod, extension) is converted for STL use. It is the operator's own responsibility to check the planning register / submit a permitted-development enquiry before applying for the licence.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

Floor plan (hand-drawn or digital) showing room sizes/layout, maximum occupancy per room, stairs/lifts, fire escape routes, and smoke/heat detector and CO detector locations
Evidence of planning permission where required, or evidence it is not needed (operator's own responsibility to check with the planning team/register before applying)
Current buildings insurance certificate (mandatory for transferred licences; recommended/expected for all applications as a condition of the licence)
Public liability insurance certificate (mandatory for transferred licences; recommended/expected for all applications)
Legionella/water hygiene risk assessment record
Welcome pack for guests containing: certified copy of the licence and its conditions, fire/gas/electrical safety information, emergency services contact details, copy of the gas safety report, copy of the EICR, and copy of the PAT report

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Dumfries and Galloway 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.

ReferralFree. We'll pass your details to a local certified assessor who covers your area.

Get your licence certificates sorted

A short-term let licence in Dumfries and Galloway Council needs a set of safety certificates. Tell us about your property and we'll connect you with a local certified assessor for a no-obligation quote.

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) – required if the property has a gas supply, issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer, renewed annuallyElectrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – dated within the last 5 yearsPortable Appliance Testing (PAT) report for electrical appliances provided to guestsEnergy Performance Certificate (EPC) – required where the whole self-contained property is let outLegionella/water risk assessment – recommended review every 2 yearsBuildings insurancePublic liability insurance

Local conditions

Key Rules in Dumfries and Galloway Council

No STL control area exists anywhere in Dumfries and Galloway (whole council or partial) — planning permission is decided case-by-case, not automatic
Fees are banded by maximum guest capacity (up to 6 / 7-12 / 13+) and split by let type (Home Sharing & Home Letting vs Secondary Letting), with Secondary Letting priced higher at every band
Provisional licences are charged at the same rate as full licences, plus a separate £79 confirmation fee once the property is ready
A separate £79 flat fee applies to licence transfers
All licensing fees are non-refundable
Licences last 3 years; ~1,700 D&G licences are up for renewal around early 2026 and the council is sending reminders ~3 months ahead
Statutory processing maximum is 9 months; a 21-day public consultation/objection period is part of the process
Applications are referred to Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for assessment
Operating unlisted/unlicensed is a criminal offence — fines up to £2,500 and a 1-year reapplication ban

Apply through Dumfries and Galloway Council

Applications are made directly to the council. This guide is a summary — always check the official page for the current fee and conditions.

Typical processing time: Statutory maximum is 9 months (the Scottish Government's legal limit for STL licence applications); council states it aims to process "as soon as possible" within that window. No shorter published typical turnaround was found. A 21-day public consultation/objection period applies as part of the process, and applications are referred to Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a short-term let licence cost in Dumfries and Galloway?

It depends on your let type and maximum guest capacity. A 3-year Home Sharing/Home Letting licence costs £324 (up to 6 guests), £361 (7-12 guests) or £413 (13+ guests). Secondary Letting (a whole property let that is not your main or second home) costs more: £357, £397 or £454 for the same capacity bands. Renewals are cheaper: £223-£298 for Home Sharing/Letting and £246-£327 for Secondary Letting. All fees are non-refundable.

Is Dumfries and Galloway a short-term let control area, and do I need planning permission?

No — Dumfries and Galloway has not designated any control area, whole-council or partial. That means STL use is not automatically treated as a material change of use requiring planning permission. Whether you need planning permission depends on the specifics of your let (frequency of turnover, property type, impact on neighbours etc), and it is your responsibility to check via the planning register or a permitted-development enquiry before applying for your licence. Planning permission is always required if you've built a new structure or converted a garden building (shed, garage, pod) for the let.

What documents and certificates do I need to apply?

You'll need a floor plan showing room sizes, occupancy, escape routes and detector locations; a gas safety certificate (CP12) if you have gas; an EICR less than 5 years old; a PAT report for electrical appliances; an EPC if letting a whole self-contained property; a legionella risk assessment; and buildings and public liability insurance. Transferred licences specifically require proof of current buildings and public liability insurance to be submitted.

How long does an application take to process?

The Scottish Government sets a statutory maximum of 9 months for councils to process an STL licence application, and Dumfries and Galloway says it aims to process applications as soon as possible within that limit. Applications go through a 21-day public consultation period and are referred to Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, so build in plenty of lead time before you plan to start letting.

How long does the licence last and when do I need to renew?

Licences run for 3 years. The council is currently working through a large batch of renewals (around 1,700 licence holders, concentrated in early 2026) and sends reminders roughly 3 months before expiry — apply for renewal as soon as you get that reminder to avoid a gap in your ability to let legally.

What happens if I operate a short-term let without a licence?

Operating unlicensed is a criminal offence in Scotland. Penalties can include fines of up to £2,500 and a one-year ban on reapplying for a licence, on top of the reputational and booking-platform risk of being delisted.

Short-Term Let Licences in Other Councils

The Highland Council Licence cost & rules Argyll and Bute Council Licence cost & rules Perth and Kinross Council Licence cost & rules The City of Edinburgh Council Licence cost & rules Aberdeen City Council Licence cost & rules Dundee City Council Licence cost & rules

See all Scottish council STL licence guides →

Council data last reviewed 2026-07. Fees and conditions are set by Dumfries and Galloway Council and can change — always confirm on the official council page before applying. This page is general information, not legal advice.