Council Licensing Guide · Scotland

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

Application fees in Stirling Council run £113–£453, 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

Stirling Council Fees

Fee band Application Renewal
First-time application — Home letting and/or home sharing licence — occupancy 4 or fewer £113 £85
First-time application — Home letting and/or home sharing licence — occupancy 5 or more £283 £227
First-time application — Secondary letting licence — occupancy 4 or fewer £283 £227
First-time application — Secondary letting licence — occupancy 5 or more £453 £397
Temporary exemption (up to 6 weeks, one continuous period) — Home letting/sharing — occupancy 4 or fewer £91 —
Temporary exemption (up to 6 weeks) — Home letting/sharing — occupancy 5 or more £170 —
Temporary exemption (up to 6 weeks) — Secondary letting — occupancy 4 or fewer £142 —
Temporary exemption (up to 6 weeks) — Secondary letting — occupancy 5 or more £227 —
Temporary licence (up to 6 weeks, one continuous period) — Home letting/sharing — occupancy 4 or fewer £91 —
Temporary licence (up to 6 weeks) — Home letting/sharing — occupancy 5 or more £170 —
Temporary licence (up to 6 weeks) — Secondary letting — occupancy 4 or fewer £142 —
Temporary licence (up to 6 weeks) — Secondary letting — occupancy 5 or more £227 —

Fees apply from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and are reviewed annually as part of the Council's Fees & Charges. Calculated on a full cost-recovery basis. Bands split by licence TYPE (home letting/home sharing vs secondary letting) and by MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY (4 people or fewer vs 5 people or more). All standard licences (first-time and renewal) cover a 3-year period. Separate lower fees exist for Temporary Exemptions and Temporary Licences (both capped at 6 weeks, used in one continuous period).

No separate planning permission needed

Stirling Council has NOT designated a Short-Term Let Control Area (confirmed on the council's own planning guidance page, last updated 30 May 2024: "At the time of writing this guidance, Stirling Council does not have a Short Term Let Control Area, though it may designate one in the future"). This means planning permission is not automatically required for secondary letting purely by virtue of location. However, planning permission may still be needed separately if the use of the property constitutes a "material change of use" or the "creation of a new planning unit" (e.g. converting an outbuilding, or where cumulative permitted-development changes amount to a material change) — this is assessed case-by-case, control area or not. Note the Stirling Council Licensing Team is also the licensing authority for Short-Term Lets within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park area (which falls partly within the wider Stirling region), but for PLANNING matters in the National Park, applicants must contact the National Park Authority separately, not Stirling Council's planning team — no evidence found that the National Park itself has designated a control area either.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

  • Short-term let application form (main application, including applicant details, licence type, and premises/land covered)
  • Scottish Fire and Rescue Service short-term let licensing safety checklist (escape routes, fire safety risk assessment)
  • Legionella risk assessment (using council's template)
  • Buildings insurance certificate (copy)
  • Public liability insurance certificate (copy)
  • Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
  • Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) report
  • Floor plan of the premises
  • Short-term let application checklist (self-completed to confirm all documents supplied)
  • Annual gas safety certificate (if the accommodation has a gas supply)
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — required in most cases, but NOT required for home-sharing licences or 'unconventional' accommodation such as glamping pods
  • Proof of consent form (if applicant is not the sole owner of the property/land)
  • Evidence of 'existing host' status (if claiming to have operated before 1 October 2022)
  • Planning permission details and application reference number (if planning permission was needed)
  • Building warrant copy (if a building warrant was required, e.g. for alterations to enable short-term letting)
  • Public notice of application — must be displayed at/near the premises for 21 days after paying the fee, followed by a certificate of compliance or signed confirmation sent to the council

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Stirling 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 Stirling 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 supply present)Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) reportEnergy Performance Certificate (EPC) — not required for home-sharing licences or unconventional accommodationLegionella risk assessment (council template)Buildings insurance certificatePublic liability insurance certificateScottish Fire and Rescue Service safety checklist

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

Local conditions

Key Rules in Stirling Council

  • Stirling Council is NOT a designated Short-Term Let Control Area, so secondary letting does not automatically require planning permission on that basis alone — but planning permission may still be needed if the change of use is 'material' or creates a new planning unit (case-by-case).
  • For properties within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, planning matters are handled by the National Park Authority (not Stirling Council's planning team), although Stirling Council's Licensing Team is still the STL licensing authority for that area.
  • Licences (application, renewal, temporary exemption, temporary licence) are banded by BOTH letting type (home sharing/home letting vs secondary letting) and maximum occupancy (4 or fewer vs 5 or more guests).
  • Standard licences run for a 3-year validity period.
  • Fee is due in full at submission (by telephone or cheque) and is non-refundable even if the application is refused or granted for a shorter period.
  • Council has 9 months statutory determination window (extended to 12 months for pre-1 October 2023 'existing host' applications); failure to determine in time results in a deemed 1-year grant, not an automatic refusal.
  • After paying the fee, applicants must publicly display a notice of application for 21 days at/near the property and then submit a certificate of compliance.
  • Local mandatory condition: licence holders must give guests a refuse-disposal information leaflet within 2 days of booking and maintain appropriate refuse facilities, particularly for flatted dwellings or shared communal bin areas.
  • All fees shown apply for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and are reviewed annually — expect a new schedule from April 2026 onwards.
  • Deadline for all existing and new hosts to hold a valid licence was 1 January 2025; operating without a licence is a criminal offence.

Apply through Stirling 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 of 9 months (39 weeks) from a valid application for new/standard applications; up to 12 months for "existing host" applications made before 1 October 2023 (to help the council manage volume). If Stirling Council fails to determine within the statutory timescale, the licence is deemed granted for 1 year (mandatory conditions still apply) unless the council obtains a court extension. No shorter "typical" turnaround time is published.

Official council licensing page

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Stirling Council short-term let licence cost?
It depends on your letting type and maximum occupancy. For 2025/26: a home letting/home sharing licence costs £113 (4 guests or fewer) or £283 (5 or more); a secondary letting licence costs £283 (4 or fewer) or £453 (5 or more). Renewals are cheaper: £85 to £397 depending on the same bands. All figures apply 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and are reviewed annually.
Do I need planning permission as well as a licence in Stirling?
Not automatically — Stirling Council has not designated a Short-Term Let Control Area, so there is no blanket planning requirement for secondary lets as there is in, say, Edinburgh. But you may still need planning permission if letting the property counts as a 'material change of use' or creates a new planning unit (e.g. converting an outbuilding). If your property is inside the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, you must check with the National Park Authority's planning team separately, since they — not Stirling Council — handle planning there.
What documents do I need to apply?
You must submit the application form, a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service safety checklist, a legionella risk assessment, buildings and public liability insurance certificates, an EICR, a PAT report, and a floor plan, plus the application checklist. You'll also need a gas safety certificate if you have gas, and an EPC in most cases (not required for home-sharing licences or unconventional accommodation like glamping pods). If you're not the sole owner, you need a proof-of-consent form.
How long does Stirling Council take to process an application?
By law the council has 9 months from a valid application to determine it (extended to 12 months for 'existing host' applications made before 1 October 2023, given higher volumes). If it misses this deadline without a court-granted extension, the licence is automatically deemed granted for 1 year under the mandatory conditions.
How long is a Stirling short-term let licence valid for, and what does renewal cost?
Licences run for 3 years. Renewal fees are lower than first-time application fees — for example, a home letting/sharing renewal is £85 (4 guests or fewer) or £227 (5 or more), and a secondary letting renewal is £227 or £397 depending on occupancy.
Can I get a short-term licence for a one-off event or short period?
Yes — Stirling Council offers Temporary Exemptions and Temporary Licences, both capped at 6 weeks used in one continuous period, at lower fees than standard 3-year licences (from £91 up to £227 depending on letting type and occupancy).

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