Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in South Lanarkshire Council run £317.86–£953.58, 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 Lanarkshire Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
Home sharing — 1-2 persons £317.86 £317.86
Home sharing — 3-6 persons £476.79 £476.79
Home sharing — 7-10 persons £572.14 £572.14
Home sharing — 11+ persons £794.65 £794.65
Home letting — 1-2 persons £317.86 £317.86
Home letting — 3-6 persons £476.79 £476.79
Home letting — 7-10 persons £572.14 £572.14
Home letting — 11+ persons £794.65 £794.65
Home letting and home sharing combined — 1-2 persons £317.86 £317.86
Home letting and home sharing combined — 3-6 persons £476.79 £476.79
Home letting and home sharing combined — 7-10 persons £572.14 £572.14
Home letting and home sharing combined — 11+ persons £794.65 £794.65
Secondary letting — 1-2 persons £381.43 £381.43
Secondary letting — 3-6 persons £572.14 £572.14
Secondary letting — 7-10 persons £699.29 £699.29
Secondary letting — 11+ persons £953.58 £953.58
Provisional licence (fixed fee, credited against full fee on confirmation) £200 —
Transfer of licence or provisional licence £200 —
Material change to an existing licence £50.85 —
Duplicate licence £31.78 —

Fees effective from 1 April 2025, published on South Lanarkshire's own fees page. Four licence-type columns, each split into 4 occupancy bands (1-2 / 3-6 / 7-10 / 11+ persons). The council's published table does not list a separate lower renewal fee — the same schedule is used for new applications and renewals. Additional fixed fees apply outside this table: Provisional licence £200 (credited against the full fee when confirmed — 'confirmation of provisional licence' = full fee minus the £200 already paid); Transfer of a licence or provisional licence £200; Material change to an existing licence £50.85; Duplicate licence £31.78; Inspection fee 'to be agreed' (not fixed).

No separate planning permission needed

South Lanarkshire has NOT designated any short-term let control area. Per the Scottish Government's own control-areas page (mygov.scot, updated ~Oct 2025), only two control areas exist nationally: the whole of City of Edinburgh Council, and part of Highland Council (Badenoch and Strathspey). South Lanarkshire is not listed. This means secondary letting in South Lanarkshire only needs separate planning permission where it would otherwise be classed a "material change of use" under normal planning law (e.g. purpose-built/never-residential units, or significant physical works) — it is not automatically required for every secondary let as it would be inside a control area. South Lanarkshire's own mandatory licence conditions document still contains the standard boilerplate clause requiring planning permission/certificate of lawfulness "if the premises are in a short-term let control area" — this is generic Order wording, not evidence SL has designated one.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Completed application form and correct fee
  • Completed fire risk assessment (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Fire Safety Checklist)
  • Annual gas safety certificate (where the premises has a gas supply)
  • Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
  • Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) report
  • Legionella/water risk assessment
  • Layout/floor plan — 8 copies, preferably to scale, showing escape routes, fire/smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, stairs/lifts, disabled access, room-by-room occupancy and bed counts
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — for dwellinghouses
  • Evidence of buildings insurance
  • Evidence of public liability insurance
  • Planning permission or certificate of lawfulness (only if the specific use requires it)
  • Proof of owner's consent (where the applicant is not the owner)
  • Evidence of operating as a short-term let on or before 1 October 2023 (for existing hosts relying on transitional provisions)

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your South 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 South 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 (annual, if gas supply present)EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report (at least every 5 years)PAT — Portable Appliance Testing reportLegionella / water risk assessmentEPC — Energy Performance CertificateFire risk assessment / SFRS Fire Safety ChecklistBuildings insurancePublic liability insurance

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

Local conditions

Key Rules in South Lanarkshire Council

  • Every short-term let in South Lanarkshire (whole homes, rooms, or shared spaces) needs a licence — operating without one is a criminal offence.
  • Four licence-type/fee categories: home sharing, home letting, home letting-and-sharing combined, and secondary letting — secondary letting is priced higher at every occupancy band.
  • Fee bands are set by maximum occupancy: 1-2, 3-6, 7-10 and 11+ persons; current schedule effective 1 April 2025.
  • South Lanarkshire is NOT a designated short-term let control area (whole or partial) — planning permission is only needed separately where general planning law would treat the change of use as material, not automatically for every secondary let.
  • A provisional licence (£200, credited against the full fee) can be taken out before a property is ready to host.
  • Mandatory conditions include annual gas safety checks, 5-yearly EICR plus PAT testing, a legionella risk assessment, working smoke/CO detection, EPC display, and both buildings and public liability insurance kept valid for the life of the licence.
  • 8 copies of a scaled floor/layout plan showing escape routes and occupancy per room must accompany a new application.
  • Statutory processing deadline is 9 months; if missed, the council must issue an interim licence for up to 1 year while the application is finished.

Apply through South 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: Statutory maximum is 9 months (under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022) — if the council fails to decide within that window it must issue an interim licence for up to 1 year while the application continues to be processed. In practice South Lanarkshire has taken well over 12 weeks (100+ days reported in 2023 data); the council does not publish its own target turnaround time.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a short-term let licence cost in South Lanarkshire?
It depends on let type and maximum occupancy. Home sharing, home letting, and combined home sharing/letting run from £317.86 (1-2 guests) up to £794.65 (11+ guests). Secondary letting (a property you don't live in, e.g. a second home) is priced higher: £381.43 (1-2 guests) up to £953.58 (11+ guests). These figures are effective from 1 April 2025.
Do I also need planning permission for a short-term let in South Lanarkshire?
Only in the general sense that applies everywhere in Scotland — if the change of use of the property counts as a 'material change of use' under normal planning law. South Lanarkshire has not designated a short-term let control area, so — unlike Edinburgh or parts of Highland — planning permission is not automatically required for every secondary let.
What documents do I need to apply for a South Lanarkshire STL licence?
A completed application form and fee, a fire risk assessment, an annual gas safety certificate (if gas is present), an EICR, a PAT testing report, a legionella risk assessment, an 8-copy floor plan, an EPC (for dwellinghouses), buildings and public liability insurance, and planning permission/certificate of lawfulness only if your specific use requires it.
How long is a short-term let licence valid for in South Lanarkshire?
Licences under the national Short-Term Lets Order are typically granted for up to 3 years. South Lanarkshire's own published pages don't restate this figure explicitly, so treat it as the standard default rather than a locally confirmed number, and check your licence certificate for the exact expiry date.
How long will South Lanarkshire take to process my application?
There's no published local target. The legal backstop is 9 months, after which the council must issue you an interim licence for up to a year if it hasn't decided. Real-world waits of 12+ weeks have been reported for South Lanarkshire, so apply well before you plan to start hosting.
Can I start hosting while my full application is still being processed?
You can apply for a provisional licence for a fixed £200 fee, which is credited against the full licence fee once it's confirmed — useful if the property isn't quite guest-ready yet, but check with the council whether a provisional licence lets you take bookings before full confirmation.

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