How Much Does a Short-Term Let Licence Cost in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar)?

Licence fees

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar) Fees

Fee schedule confirmed verbatim from the council's own 'Fees and Charges' table for 2026/27, which uses a BASE FEE plus a PER-GUEST fee model rather than fixed occupancy bands. Every licence type adds a flat £21 per guest on top of the base fee (no published maximum guest number was found, so application_low/high above are illustrative, computed at 1 guest for the cheapest type and 8 guests for the most expensive type — verify the actual guest count fee with the council for a specific property). Additional fees: Variation £53; Transfer of licence £53; Duplicate licence £21; Temporary exemption (max 6 weeks) £53; Enforcement/complaint investigation costs £100 per hour; Initial + Temporary licence combined = standard fee + £53 variation fee. All fees non-refundable once an application is received and processed. VAT rate stated as 0%.

Before you apply

Documents You'll Need

• Completed STL Application Form and Guidance Notes (current year's version)
• Appropriate application fee (application not treated as competent/accepted until fee is paid)
• Fire safety checklist / Fire Risk Assessment (small or full template) and Fire Log Book
• Floor/layout plan detailing room sizes, facilities, number of beds, fire safety systems and heat sources
• Proof of valid buildings and contents insurance
• Proof of valid public liability insurance
• Gas Safe records for all gas appliances (including LPG, gas BBQs and heaters), signed and dated within the previous 12 months, if the premises has a gas supply
• EICR or Current Electrical Installation Certificate (CEIC), signed/dated within the previous 5 years, if the premises has an electricity supply
• PAT (portable appliance testing) records, at minimum every 5 years
• Public Display Notice / Confirmation of Posting Notice (neighbour notification)
• Joint Owners Declaration, where applicable
• Guest Information Template
• Legionella/water risk assessment (may be requested; template provided by the council) and private water supply quality info if on a private supply
• Solid fuel/oil boiler inspection records, where applicable
• EPC rating (required for certain secondary lettings, and the STL licence number plus EPC rating must appear on all listings/adverts)
• Food Premises Registration Form, if food is provided
• STL Application Form – Transfer of Licence, if transferring an existing licence rather than applying fresh

Safety certificates

Certificates Required

Your Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar) 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.

Local conditions

Key Rules in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar)

• Every short-term let in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar must hold an STL licence since the Scotland-wide mandatory scheme took effect (from 1 October 2023 for new operators); operating unlicensed is a criminal offence.
• Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is NOT a designated short-term let control area (only City of Edinburgh, whole council, and Badenoch & Strathspey in Highland are designated) — so the automatic control-area planning-permission trigger for secondary letting does not apply here, though ordinary planning rules may still apply in specific cases.
• Four licence types are used locally: Home Sharing, Home Letting, Secondary Letting, and combined Home Sharing & Home Letting.
• Fees are structured as a base fee plus a flat £21-per-guest supplement, rather than simple occupancy bands — Secondary Letting and Home Letting cost more (base £294) than Home Sharing (base £189).
• Licences run for 3 years.
• All fees are non-refundable once an application has been received and processed.
• An application is treated as 'incompetent' (not accepted for processing) until all required documents and the correct fee have been submitted.
• Only a named agent/manager (as declared on the licence) may handle day-to-day operation of the let.
• Maximum occupancy is set by the council based on safety and neighbour-nuisance considerations; children under 2 are normally assumed to share and not require their own bed/counted space.
• Transfers, variations, and duplicate licences each carry separate published fees (£53 / £53 / £21 respectively); temporary exemptions (max 6 weeks) cost £53.
• Breach-of-condition or non-frivolous complaint investigations are charged at £100 per hour to the operator.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Short-Term Let Licences in Other Councils

See all Scottish council STL licence guides →