Every short-term let in Scotland has needed a licence from its local council since 1 October 2022, and every licence carries mandatory safety conditions covering gas, electrical, energy performance, fire and water safety — set out in gov.scot's licensing scheme guidance for hosts and operators. Operating without a licence, or without a valid application in place, is a criminal offence.
Do I need a licence to run a short-term let in Scotland?
Yes. Scotland's short-term let licensing scheme applies to holiday cottages, B&Bs, guest houses, rooms let within a host's own home, and unconventional stays such as pods and yurts — regardless of how long the accommodation is let for, even a single night. New hosts have needed a licence granted before accepting guests since 1 October 2022; existing hosts who were already operating had a transitional window to submit their application by 1 October 2023. Operating without a licence — or without a pending application submitted in time — is a criminal offence (gov.scot, short-term lets licensing scheme guidance).
What are the mandatory safety conditions?
Every Scottish short-term let licence carries the same set of mandatory conditions, regardless of which council issues it: a current gas safety certificate where there is a gas supply, periodic electrical safety inspection and testing, an Energy Performance Certificate, fire safety measures including adequate alarms and a fire risk assessment, and an assessment of the risk from Legionella. Individual councils can add local conditions on top of these, but the core set is set nationally.
Gas and electrical safety in detail
Where the property has a mains gas supply, hosts need a Gas Safety Certificate dated within the last 12 months, from a Gas Safe registered engineer, covering every gas appliance. Where mobile gas heaters or other unconnected gas appliances are used, hosts must follow the appliance's own carbon monoxide safety instructions and make that information available to guests.
For electrics, an electrical safety inspection by a competent person is required at least every five years (or more often if the inspector recommends it), producing an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for the fixed wiring and a Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) report covering the moveable appliances guests have access to.
Fire, energy performance and water safety
For fire safety, licences require adequate heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and a fire risk assessment identifying hazards and the steps taken to protect guests — consistent with the national standard that already applies to homes across Scotland. An Energy Performance Certificate is required where an entire house or flat is let, dated within the last 10 years, and its rating must be shown in listings.
Hosts must also assess the risk of Legionella exposure from the property's water systems, and additional conditions apply where a property relies on a private water supply, regulated separately by Scotland's Drinking Water Quality Regulator.
What this means for changeover cleaning
These are licence conditions the host holds, not certifications the cleaning team issues — but a changeover team is often the only person physically in the property between guests, which makes it a natural point to protect the licence. In practice that means: never disabling, covering or removing batteries from smoke, heat or CO alarms while cleaning; flagging any alarm, wiring or appliance fault immediately rather than working around it; and not obstructing escape routes with cleaning equipment or laundry bags. For the wider rules shaping short-let cleaning across the UK, see our UK Airbnb & short-let cleaning rules guide, and for the day-to-day service see holiday let cleaning and serviced accommodation cleaning.
Scotland STL licence — mandatory conditions
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Gas safety | Gas Safety Certificate dated within the last 12 months (if gas supply present) |
| Electrical safety | EICR + PAT, inspection at least every 5 years by a competent person |
| Energy Performance Certificate | Valid EPC dated within the last 10 years, for whole-property lets |
| Fire safety | Adequate heat, smoke and CO alarms, plus a fire risk assessment |
| Water safety | Legionella risk assessment; extra conditions for private water supplies |