Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in South Ayrshire Council run £150–£480, 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

South Ayrshire Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
Home sharing and/or home letting — up to 4 occupants £150 £90
Home sharing and/or home letting — 5 or more occupants £300 £240
Secondary letting — up to 4 occupants £300 £240
Secondary letting — 5 or more occupants £480 £420
Temporary licence (e.g. for an event) £120 —
Variation of an existing licence £90 —
Replacement/duplicate licence £60 —

Fees are set by South Ayrshire Council's Short Term Let Licensing Scheme (policy revised August 2024) and are split by let TYPE and by maximum occupancy. 'Home sharing' = hosting guests in all/part of your own home while you are present; 'home letting' = letting your own home while you are absent; 'secondary letting' = letting a property that is not your normal residence. Occupancy bands are 'up to 4' vs '5 or more' persons/occupants. On top of the core application/renewal fee there are separate flat fees for temporary licences, variations, and replacement/duplicate licences. The Council ran a further Short Term Lets Policy Consultation closing 12 June 2026 reviewing the scheme, so these figures (drawn from the last published, August-2024-revised policy) could be superseded by an updated fee schedule.

No separate planning permission needed

South Ayrshire is NOT a designated short-term let control area. The Council's Short Term Lets Policy Consultation (closed 12 June 2026) explicitly proposed "not to have any Short-term Let Control Zones at this time" — a control zone would mandate planning permission for any change of use for a premises, and would require secondary-letting applicants to have planning permission in place before they could even apply for the STL licence (as is the case in City of Edinburgh, the one whole-council control area). Because South Ayrshire has no control area, applicants generally do NOT need to obtain planning permission alongside the licence — standard planning rules on material change of use still apply as they would to any property, but there is no blanket additional planning-permission-before-licence requirement. The Council noted it would take a collaborative approach with other authorities to review whether any specific zone (e.g. parts of Ayr or Troon) merits control-area status in future, so this could change.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Completed application form with scaled floor plan of the premises
  • Photographs/video of the premises as instructed in the Council's guidance
  • Evidence of gas safety check (if gas appliances present)
  • EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report
  • EPC — Energy Performance Certificate (required for secondary letting and home letting properties)
  • Legionella risk assessment (self-assessed, template available from the Council)
  • PAT (portable appliance test) certificate for electrical appliances provided to guests
  • Evidence of buildings and public liability insurance covering short-term let use
  • Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) short-term lets checklist
  • Evidence of planning permission/lawful use where relevant to the specific property
  • Basic disclosure/fit-and-proper-person information as requested by the Council

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your South Ayrshire 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 South Ayrshire 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, Gas Safe registered engineer) — if gas appliances are presentEICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) — within the last 5 yearsEPC (Energy Performance Certificate) — within the last 10 years, for secondary/home lettingLegionella risk assessmentPAT (Portable Appliance Test) certificateBuildings insurance and public liability insuranceSFRS Fire Safety Checklist

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

Local conditions

Key Rules in South Ayrshire Council

  • Every short-term let in South Ayrshire has needed a council licence since the national scheme began (1 October 2022 for new hosts; all existing hosts had to be in the system shortly after), and operating unlicensed is a criminal offence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 as amended.
  • South Ayrshire is NOT a designated STL control area and has no partial control zones; its 2026 consultation proposed keeping it that way for now, so planning permission is not an automatic extra step before licensing (unlike Edinburgh).
  • Licences are categorised as home sharing, home letting, or secondary letting (or a combination of home sharing/letting), and fees differ by category and by occupancy band (up to 4 vs 5 or more occupants).
  • Licences run for 3 years from the date they take effect, the Scotland-wide standard.
  • Applications must be complete on submission — the Council states incomplete applications will not be progressed and may be returned.
  • Mandatory conditions mirror the national scheme: valid gas safety certificate (if gas), EICR within 5 years, EPC within 10 years (secondary/home letting), legionella risk assessment, PAT testing, adequate insurance, and an SFRS fire safety checklist.
  • Statutory processing maximum is 9 months; if missed without a sheriff court extension the Council must issue an interim licence for up to 1 year.
  • The Council's Short Term Lets Policy Consultation closed 12 June 2026 — fees and conditions reported here reflect the last published (August 2024-revised) policy and could be updated once that review concludes.

Apply through South Ayrshire 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 South Ayrshire-specific target time is published. The national statutory maximum under the Licensing of Short-term Lets (Scotland) Order 2022 applies: councils must determine an application within 9 months (or grant an interim licence of up to 1 year if that deadline is missed and no sheriff-court extension is sought). Incomplete applications are not progressed, which can add delay.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a short-term let licence cost in South Ayrshire?
It depends on the letting type and maximum occupancy. Home sharing/home letting is £150 to apply (up to 4 occupants) or £300 (5 or more); secondary letting is £300 to apply (up to 4 occupants) or £480 (5 or more). Renewals are cheaper: £90/£240 for home sharing/letting and £240/£420 for secondary letting. There are also flat fees for a temporary licence (£120), a variation (£90), and a replacement/duplicate licence (£60).
Do I also need planning permission for a short-term let in South Ayrshire?
Not automatically. South Ayrshire is not a designated short-term let control area (unlike City of Edinburgh), and its 2026 policy consultation proposed continuing without any control zones. That means you don't need to secure planning permission before applying for your licence purely because of a control-area rule. Ordinary planning law still applies if your specific proposal involves a genuine material change of use, so check with the Council's planning team if in doubt.
How long is a South Ayrshire short-term let licence valid for?
Three years, in line with the national default under the Licensing of Short-term Lets (Scotland) Order 2022. If you sell or transfer the property, the remaining time on the licence can transfer with certain conditions.
What documents do I need to apply?
You'll need a scaled floor plan, photos/video of the property, a gas safety certificate (if you have gas), an EICR, an EPC (for secondary/home letting), a self-assessed legionella risk assessment, a PAT certificate, proof of buildings and public liability insurance, and a completed Scottish Fire and Rescue Service checklist. The Council provides an application checklist to confirm exactly what's needed for your circumstances, and incomplete applications won't be progressed.
How long does South Ayrshire Council take to process an application?
The Council hasn't published its own target turnaround time. The legal backstop is the national 9-month statutory maximum — if the Council can't decide within that period and hasn't sought a sheriff court extension, it must issue you an interim licence for up to a year while the application is finished off.
How do I renew my licence and what does it cost?
You reapply through the same South Ayrshire Council short-term lets licensing process before your 3-year licence expires. Renewal fees are lower than a first application: £90 (home sharing/letting, up to 4 occupants) up to £420 (secondary letting, 5 or more occupants).

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