Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in North Lanarkshire Council run £315–£472.50, 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

North Lanarkshire Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
Up to 4 guests (all licence types) £315 £315
5 or more guests (all licence types) £472.50 £472.50

North Lanarkshire publishes ONE fee schedule that applies to all four licence types (secondary letting, home letting, home sharing, and combined home letting & sharing) alike — bands are set only by maximum guest/occupancy capacity, not by let type: up to 4 guests = £315; 5 or more guests = £472.50 (source: council's own STL page, verbatim: "Fees for a short-term let licence are the same for all licence types and start at £315 for up to four guests. For five or more guests the fees are set at £472.50."). The published page does not separately label a discounted renewal fee, so renewal is assumed to be charged at the same band rates as a fresh application — this is unconfirmed and should be checked directly with the council before relying on it.

No separate planning permission needed

North Lanarkshire is NOT a designated short-term let control area. As of this research, only two control areas exist in Scotland: the whole of City of Edinburgh Council (from Sept 2022) and the Badenoch & Strathspey ward of Highland Council (from March 2024) — confirmed via mygov.scot's official control-areas list, which does not include North Lanarkshire. This means planning permission is not automatically required on top of the STL licence here. However, ordinary planning law still applies: North Lanarkshire's planning page states "you may need planning permission for using a building as a short-term let... every case is different," with flatted properties more likely to need it. The council recommends applicants obtain a Certificate of Lawfulness (for a proposed or existing use) to get a definitive ruling for their specific property, rather than assuming none is needed.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Completed short-term let application form (STL Application Form)
  • Certificate of Compliance
  • Fire risk assessment checklist
  • Legionella self-assessment / risk assessment form
  • Floor plan of the property
  • Gas safety certificate (if gas appliances present)
  • Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
  • Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) certificate for movable appliances accessible to guests
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
  • Evidence of buildings insurance valid for the duration of the licence
  • Evidence of public liability insurance valid for each let agreement
  • Privacy notice acknowledgment
  • Notice for premises display (for the required public notice period)

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your North Lanarkshire 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 North Lanarkshire 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 (if gas, renewed annually)Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) certificateEnergy Performance Certificate (EPC) — valid within 10 years, must be shown in advertsLegionella risk assessmentFire risk assessmentBuildings insurance (valid for licence duration)Public liability insurance (valid for each let)

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

Local conditions

Key Rules in North Lanarkshire Council

  • North Lanarkshire is not a designated STL control area — no automatic extra planning permission requirement, but a Certificate of Lawfulness is recommended to confirm your property's position under ordinary change-of-use planning law.
  • One fee schedule covers all 4 licence types (secondary letting, home letting, home sharing, home letting & sharing); bands are set only by guest capacity (up to 4 / 5+), not by type.
  • All applicants undergo a 'fit and proper person' test.
  • The scheme has applied since 1 October 2022; existing hosts had a legal deadline of 1 October 2023 to submit an application to continue operating lawfully while it was processed; the scheme reached full implementation by July 2024.
  • Statutory maximum processing time is 9 months; if the council can't meet this (without a sheriff court extension) it must grant a temporary licence for up to 12 months.
  • A public notice must be displayed at the property (21-day standard notice period under the national scheme) as part of the application/neighbour-notification process.
  • Applications and correspondence go to the council's Private Sector team (PrivateSector@northlan.gov.uk / Station House, 950 Old Edinburgh Road, Bellshill ML4 3FG / 01236 632 377), not the general licensing team.

Apply through North Lanarkshire 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 North Lanarkshire-specific target time is published. The national statutory backstop (Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, as amended for STLs) requires councils to determine an application within 9 months, or issue a temporary licence for up to 12 months if they fail to do so without a sheriff court extension. Treat real-world timescales as likely to run to several months given application volumes.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a short-term let licence cost in North Lanarkshire?
North Lanarkshire uses one flat fee schedule based on guest capacity, not let type: £315 for a property that sleeps up to 4 guests, rising to £472.50 for 5 or more guests. This applies whether you're applying for secondary letting, home letting, home sharing, or a combined home letting & sharing licence.
Do I also need planning permission in North Lanarkshire?
Not automatically — North Lanarkshire is not a designated short-term let control area (only Edinburgh council-wide and Highland's Badenoch & Strathspey ward currently are). But ordinary planning law still applies, and the council says a flatted property or one with heavy letting activity is more likely to need permission. Apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness if you want a definitive answer for your specific property before you start.
What documents and certificates do I need to apply?
Expect to provide the completed application form, a Certificate of Compliance, fire risk assessment checklist, Legionella self-assessment, floor plan, EPC, gas safety certificate (if applicable), EICR, PAT certificate, and evidence of both buildings and public liability insurance.
How long does North Lanarkshire take to process an application?
The council hasn't published its own target turnaround time. Scottish legislation caps the process at 9 months, after which the council must issue you a temporary licence (up to 12 months) if it hasn't decided, unless it's obtained a sheriff court extension — so treat several months as realistic.
How long does the licence last, and how do I renew?
As with almost all Scottish councils operating under the same national STL order, a licence is typically granted for 3 years, though North Lanarkshire's own page doesn't state this figure explicitly — confirm with the Private Sector team before relying on it. Renewal follows the same application route, and based on the published fee page appears to use the same fee bands as a new application (no separate lower renewal fee is advertised).
I was already operating before the scheme started — am I breaking the law now?
The transition deadline for existing hosts to apply and keep trading lawfully while their application was processed was 1 October 2023. If you're still operating in North Lanarkshire without a licence now, you are operating unlawfully and should apply immediately via PrivateSector@northlan.gov.uk.

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