Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in Falkirk Council run £157.50–£504, 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

Falkirk Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
Home Sharing — up to 4 occupants £157.50 £157.50
Home Sharing — 5 or more occupants £315 £315
Home Letting — up to 4 occupants £157.50 £157.50
Home Letting — 5 or more occupants £315 £315
Home Letting and Home Sharing (combined) — up to 4 occupants £157.50 £157.50
Home Letting and Home Sharing (combined) — 5 or more occupants £315 £315
Secondary Letting — up to 4 occupants £315 £315
Secondary Letting — 5 or more occupants £504 £504
Transfer of licence to new holder (flat fee) £105 —

Falkirk Council publishes ONE fee table (2025/26) that applies to New, Renewal AND Temporary licence applications alike — there is no separate discounted renewal figure. Fees are banded by letting TYPE and by maximum occupancy (up to 4 guests vs 5 or more guests). Home Sharing, Home Letting, and combined Home Letting & Home Sharing are charged the lower rate; Secondary Letting (a property you don't live in) is charged roughly double. On top of the headline fee, the council also splits payment into a Provisional Grant (20% of the application fee, paid up front) and a Confirmation payment (80% of the fee, paid once the licence is confirmed after any works/conditions are satisfied) — so applicants pay the full banded fee in two instalments, not extra on top. A separate flat Transfer fee of £105 applies if a licence is transferred to a new licence holder. Exact source: falkirk.gov.uk Licensing fees and charges 2025/26 – Short-term Lets Licensing Scheme page.

No separate planning permission needed

Falkirk Council has NOT designated any part of its area as a short-term let control area under Section 26B of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. As of mid-2026 only City of Edinburgh (whole council, designated 5 Sept 2022) and Highland Council (Badenoch and Strathspey ward only, designated 4 March 2024) have live designations in Scotland; Falkirk is not among them, and Falkirk Council's own STL pages make no mention of a control area proposal. This means the automatic "must have/have applied for planning permission before applying for a licence" rule (mandatory condition 13 route) does not apply blanket-wide in Falkirk. However, ordinary planning law still applies separately: Falkirk Council's planning guidance states planning permission may still be required for an individual short-term let if it involves a material change of use of the property, assessed case-by-case against the Development Plan; a licence is not a substitute for planning permission and the council can take enforcement action against unlicensed change of use. Hosts operating 10+ years continuously without a planning issue being raised may not need permission, but a Certificate of Lawfulness is recommended as proof. Falkirk's planning application fee for these cases is around £691 (units under 4,000 sqm) and Scottish Government guidance recommends applying for planning at least 2 months ahead of the licence application.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Completed short-term let licence application form (via Falkirk Council's online licensing portal)
  • Floor plan of the accommodation (does not need to be an architect's drawing, but must show room layout and capacity)
  • Evidence of legal right to let the property (title deeds, tenancy agreement, or landlord's consent if subletting)
  • Public liability insurance and buildings insurance evidence
  • Planning permission / Certificate of Lawfulness evidence if applicable to the specific property (not blanket-required since Falkirk is not a control area, but assessed case by case)
  • Fee payment (Provisional Grant instalment first, Confirmation instalment on approval)
  • Basic Disclosure / criminal record check may be requested for the applicant as part of the 'fit and proper person' test (standard Scotland-wide requirement)

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Falkirk 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 Falkirk 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 (Gas Safe registered engineer, renewed annually) — if the property has a gas supply/appliancesElectrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — must be in date, standard national requirement is within the last 5 yearsPAT (Portable Appliance Testing) certificate for electrical appliances provided to guestsEnergy Performance Certificate (EPC)Legionella risk assessment for the water systemFire safety / smoke and heat alarm compliance evidence (in line with Scottish tolerable standard, e.g. interlinked alarms)Carbon monoxide detector(s) where there is a fuel-burning appliance or flue

No obligation. Your details go only to a local assessor covering Falkirk Council.

Local conditions

Key Rules in Falkirk Council

  • Every short-term let in Falkirk has needed a licence since new hosts from 1 October 2022, with all existing (pre-October 2022) hosts required to have SUBMITTED an application by 1 October 2023 to continue trading lawfully while it's processed.
  • Four licence types: Secondary Letting, Home Letting, Home Sharing, and combined Home Letting & Home Sharing — fee depends on which type and on maximum guest occupancy (up to 4, or 5+).
  • Falkirk is NOT a designated short-term let control area (unlike Edinburgh, whole-council, or Highland's Badenoch & Strathspey ward) — but ordinary planning permission can still separately apply to an individual property if it's a material change of use; a licence does not override that requirement.
  • Fees are paid in two instalments: a Provisional Grant payment (20% of the relevant fee) followed by a Confirmation payment (80%) once conditions are satisfied.
  • A flat £105 fee applies to transfer an existing licence to a new licence holder.
  • The Council keeps a public register of all licensed short-term let properties.
  • Operating without a licence is a criminal offence and can also trigger a Rent Penalty Notice / civil penalty and planning enforcement action if change of use rules are breached.
  • Standard mandatory conditions (gas safety, EICR, PAT, EPC, legionella assessment, floor plan, insurance, fire/CO detection) are set nationally by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and apply to every Falkirk application; the Council can add further local conditions via its published Short-Term Lets Policy document.

Apply through Falkirk 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: Up to 39 weeks (9 months) — this is the Scotland-wide statutory maximum set in the national licensing Order (all councils, including Falkirk, must determine an application within 9 months or apply to the sheriff court for an extension; if the deadline is missed without an extension, the applicant must be given up to a 1-year licence while the full application continues to be processed). Falkirk Council has not published its own typical/average turnaround time separately from this national maximum.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a short-term let licence in Falkirk?
It depends on the letting type and capacity. Home Sharing, Home Letting, or combined Home Letting & Home Sharing cost £157.50 for up to 4 guests or £315 for 5 or more guests. Secondary Letting (a property you don't live in) costs more: £315 for up to 4 guests or £504 for 5 or more. You pay 20% up front (Provisional Grant) and the remaining 80% once the licence is confirmed. The same fee table applies to renewals, not just first applications.
Do I need planning permission as well as a licence in Falkirk?
Falkirk is not a designated short-term let control area, so you are not automatically forced to secure planning permission before you can even apply for a licence, unlike in Edinburgh or parts of Highland. But ordinary planning law still applies: if letting your property counts as a material change of use, you may need planning permission or a Certificate of Lawfulness regardless, and the Council assesses this case by case. A licence is not a substitute for planning consent.
What documents and certificates do I need to apply?
Expect to provide a floor plan, evidence you're entitled to let the property, and proof of buildings and public liability insurance, plus the standard Scotland-wide safety certificates: a Gas Safety Certificate (if there's gas), an in-date EICR, PAT testing records, an EPC, and a Legionella risk assessment, along with evidence of working smoke/heat/CO alarms.
How long does Falkirk Council take to process a short-term let application?
Scottish law gives councils up to 9 months to determine a short-term let licence application, and Falkirk hasn't published a faster typical turnaround of its own. If the Council can't meet that deadline it must apply to the sheriff court for an extension, or otherwise must grant you a temporary licence (up to 1 year) while your full application is still being assessed.
How long does a Falkirk short-term let licence last, and how do I renew it?
Licences run on the standard Scotland-wide cycle of up to 3 years. Renewal uses the same fee table as a new application (so, for example, £157.50–£504 depending on type/capacity), and you should apply for renewal in good time before expiry given processing can take months.
Can I be fined or prosecuted for operating without a licence in Falkirk?
Yes. Operating an unlicensed short-term let is a criminal offence in Scotland, and Falkirk Council can also pursue separate planning enforcement action if the change of use hasn't been properly authorised, on top of any licensing penalties.

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 Falkirk Council and can change — always confirm on the official council page before applying. This page is general information, not legal advice.