Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in Midlothian Council run £61–£767, 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

Midlothian Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
Secondary letting - up to 4 bedrooms/8 guests £541 £541
Secondary letting - 5-8 bedrooms/16 guests £609 £609
Secondary letting - 8-12 bedrooms/16-24 guests £767 £767
Secondary letting - >12 bedrooms/24 guests (per additional room/guest) £61 £61
Secondary letting - material change/licence transfer, up to 4 bed £315 —
Secondary letting - material change/licence transfer, 5-8 bed £368 —
Secondary letting - material change/licence transfer, 8-12 bed £452 —
Secondary letting - material change/licence transfer, >12 bed (per unit) £37 —
Home sharing/home letting - 1 bedroom/3 guests £247 £247
Home sharing/home letting - 2-3 bedrooms/9 guests £290 £290
Home sharing/home letting - 4 bedrooms/9 guests £383 £383
Home sharing/home letting - >4 bedrooms/9 guests (per additional room/guest) £61 £61
Home sharing/home letting - material change/transfer, 1 bed £116 —
Home sharing/home letting - material change/transfer, 2-3 bed £152 —
Home sharing/home letting - material change/transfer, 4 bed £221 —
Home sharing/home letting - material change/transfer, >4 bed (per unit) £37 —
Licence variation £89 —
Duplicate licence £37 —
True copy of public register entry £110 —
Premises visit (per hour, due to host/operator failure) £127 —

Fee schedule effective 1 April 2026 (fees reviewed annually), published on Midlothian Council's official licensing page. Two licence-type tracks (Secondary Letting; Home Sharing/Home Letting), each banded by maximum bedrooms/guests. Initial application and renewal cost the same amount; a separate lower fee applies for a 'material change' to an existing licence or a licence transfer. SECONDARY LETTING (letting a property that is not your main/only home): up to 4 bedrooms/8 guests = £541 (material change/transfer £315); 5-8 bedrooms/16 guests = £609 (£368); 8-12 bedrooms/16-24 guests = £767 (£452); more than 12 bedrooms/24 guests = £61 per extra room/guest band (material change £37). HOME SHARING/HOME LETTING (letting all/part of your own main home): 1 bedroom/3 guests = £247 (£116); 2-3 bedrooms/9 guests = £290 (£152); 4 bedrooms/9 guests = £383 (£221); more than 4 bedrooms/9 guests = £61 per extra room/guest band (£37). OTHER FEES: licence variation £89; duplicate licence £37; true copy of public register entry £110; premises visit necessitated by host/operator failure £127 per hour. Fees are non-refundable if an application is refused or withdrawn. Note: these superseded the original October 2022 policy fees (which were lower, e.g. Secondary Letting up to 4 bed was £465) - the council reviews and increases fees each financial year.

No separate planning permission needed

Midlothian Council has NOT designated any Short-Term Let Control Area (whole-council or partial/ward). Its 2022 Short Term Lets Policy states explicitly: "Having considered the nature of the short-term letting market in Midlothian it has been decided not to declare any Short-term Control areas at present. This position will be reassessed when the Policy is reviewed" (para 7.6). Outside a control area, planning permission is not automatically required for a short-term let - instead Midlothian's Planning Department decides case-by-case whether a change of use is "material" and needs planning permission or a Certificate of Lawful Use. A breach of planning control is a preliminary ground for the Council to refuse to even consider a licence application, so applicants are encouraged to check with Planning before applying. As of mid-2026 only City of Edinburgh (whole council) and Highland's Badenoch & Strathspey ward are designated STL control areas in Scotland; Midlothian is not among them.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Completed application form and correct fee
  • Completed Fire Risk Assessment
  • Annual gas safety certificate (if premises has a gas supply)
  • Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) - inspection at least every 5 years
  • Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Report on movable appliances guests can access, each item dated/labelled
  • Legionella risk assessment (required regardless of water supply type)
  • Planning permission or evidence of application (only if premises is in a control area, or if the Council specifically requests it - Midlothian has no control area so this is only case-by-case)
  • Floor plan of the premises
  • Valid EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for dwellinghouses
  • Buildings insurance valid for the licence period
  • Public liability insurance providing at least £5 million cover
  • Proof of owner's consent (if applicant is not the owner)
  • Evidence of operating as a short-term let on/before 1 October 2023 (only for existing hosts applying under the transitional period)
  • Certification that a 21-day public notice was displayed at/near the premises informing neighbours of the application

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Midlothian 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 Midlothian 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 (annual, if gas supply present)Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR, at least 5-yearly)Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) reportLegionella risk assessmentEPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for dwellinghousesFire Risk AssessmentBuildings insurancePublic liability insurance (minimum £5 million cover)Compliance evidence for Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 on upholstered items/mattressesPrivate water supply compliance certification (only if not on the mains/Scottish Water supply)

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

Local conditions

Key Rules in Midlothian Council

  • No designated Short-Term Let Control Area in Midlothian - planning permission is only needed if the Council's Planning department separately decides, case by case, that the change of use is 'material'; this is assessed per application, not automatic.
  • Licences last up to 3 years, but a FIRST licence is only granted for 1 year; subsequent renewals can run up to 3 years if conditions were complied with, or are cut back to 1 year if there was a breach.
  • A single licence covers one dwelling house; separate rooms let within the same house do not need separate licences, but a genuinely separate premises (e.g. each of several glamping pods) needs its own licence, decided case-by-case.
  • Bed & Breakfasts/Guest Houses WITHOUT an alcohol licence still need an STL licence; those WITH a current alcohol licence are exempt (excluded accommodation).
  • Applicants must display a public notice at/near the property for 21 days from submission, allowing neighbours a 28-day window to object; objections can trigger a General Purposes Committee hearing.
  • The Council currently does NOT apply an 'overprovision' policy to refuse secondary letting applications, but this is reviewed periodically and could change.
  • Operating without a valid licence is a criminal offence: fine up to £2,500 and/or a 1-year ban on applying for a licence.
  • If a licence application is refused, the applicant cannot reapply for 1 year unless there's been a material change in circumstances.
  • Fees are non-refundable if an application is refused or withdrawn.
  • Fees are reviewed and can change every financial year (1 April) - always check the live council page for the current schedule rather than the 2022 policy PDF, which still shows the original (lower) 2022 fees.

Apply through Midlothian 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: No fixed weeks figure is published. Statutory maximum under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 is 9 months from receipt of a full/complete application (12 months for transitional applications from existing hosts who applied before 1 April 2023 for lets already running before 1 October 2022). In practice, straightforward applications with no objections are determined faster by an authorised officer under delegated powers; applications that attract objections go to a General Purposes Committee hearing, which adds time. A 21-day neighbour notice period plus a 28-day objection window are built into the process before a decision can be made.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a short-term let licence cost in Midlothian?
It depends on let type and size. For Secondary Letting (a property that isn't your main home), fees run from £541 (up to 4 bedrooms/8 guests) up to £767 (8-12 bedrooms/16-24 guests), plus £61 per extra room/guest above that. For Home Sharing/Home Letting (letting all or part of your own home), fees run from £247 (1 bedroom/3 guests) up to £383 (4 bedrooms/9 guests), plus £61 per extra room/guest above that. These are the fees published from 1 April 2026 - Midlothian reviews and can change them every financial year, so always check the council's live fees page before applying.
Do I need planning permission as well as a licence in Midlothian?
Not automatically. Midlothian has not designated a Short-Term Let Control Area, so planning permission isn't a blanket requirement the way it is in Edinburgh. Instead, the Planning department decides on a case-by-case basis whether your specific change of use counts as 'material' and needs permission or a Certificate of Lawful Use. It's worth contacting Midlothian Planning Service before you apply for your STL licence, because if planning permission is needed but missing, the Council can refuse to even consider your licence application.
What documents do I need to apply?
A full checklist is on the council's application form, but expect to need: a Fire Risk Assessment, an annual gas safety certificate (if you have gas), an EICR (electrical safety report, valid for 5 years), a PAT testing report on movable appliances, a Legionella risk assessment, a floor plan, a valid EPC (for dwellinghouses), buildings insurance, and public liability insurance covering at least £5 million. If you're not the owner you'll also need proof of the owner's consent.
How long does it take to get a licence, and how long is it valid for?
There's no published turnaround in weeks. By law the council has up to 9 months to determine a complete application (12 months for certain transitional cases), though straightforward applications with no objections are usually decided faster by an officer under delegated powers - it only goes to a committee hearing if someone objects. Once granted, your first licence is valid for 1 year; renewals can then run for up to 3 years if you've complied with all conditions (or are limited to 1 year again if there's been a breach).
What happens if I let my renewal lapse?
If you apply to renew before your current licence expires, you can keep operating until either the old licence's expiry date or a decision on the renewal, whichever is later. If you apply after your licence has already expired, it's treated as a brand-new application and you must stop taking bookings until it's approved - operating without a valid licence is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a 1-year ban from applying again.
Do B&Bs and guest houses need this licence too?
Yes, if they don't hold a current alcohol licence - they're treated as ordinary dwellinghouses for STL purposes and must be licensed. A guest house or B&B that DOES hold a current alcohol licence is 'excluded accommodation' under the national Order and doesn't need an STL licence.

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