Short Term Let Licensing Information

On 19th January 2022, the Scottish Government passed the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022. The council is currently in the process of preparing the licensing scheme. This is due to be launched no later than 1st October 2023.

• Existing Hosts and Operators: 

Existing hosts that have been trading on or before 30th September 2022 may continue to accept bookings after 1st October 2022. However, they must apply for a licence by 1st October 2023. New hosts still need a licence before they can start operating. 

There are four types of licence for short-term let accommodation:

• Secondary letting - The letting of property where you do not normally live, for example a second home that is let to guests
• Home letting - Using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, whilst you are absent. An example of this could be whilst you are on holiday
• Home sharing - Using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, whilst you are there
• Home letting and home sharing - Operating short-term lets from your own home while you are living there and for periods when you are absent

For full details of the short term let licensing scheme in Fife, and further useful hints and tips on how to apply for a license please visit Short term lets | Fife Council

Scottish Government Checker: https://www.mygov.scot/short-term-lets-checker

If you require a Short-term Let licence and waiting for supporting documents, we advise hosts to apply on or before the deadline of 30^th September 2023 so the application can be registered. Supporting documents can be accepted later. However, a licence will not be issued until all documents are received and the application has been fully processed.

Hosts are reminded that once you receive your temporary and then full licence number any online property listings must be updated with licence number, maximum occupancy and where appropriate EPC rating. To add a FREE listing to our Welcome to Fife website click here . If you already have a listing and are not sure how to update the information click here .

If you have any queries regarding your application please contact the team and they will come back to you as soon as possible. [email protected]

Fife Airbnb & STL Hosts are invited to join the independent facebook group - Click here to join

We are working hard to process applications as quickly as possible, but due to a very high volume of applications being submitted there are significant delays in our service.  

You can check if your application has been received or processed by following the link to the Public Register on dedicated Fife Council web page.

We ask that applicants remain patient and wait for further communication from us in relation to validating applications and issuing licences.