Aberdeenshire Council Short Term Let License Process

Practical information about Aberdeenshire Council's Short Term Let Licence process. To be read in conjunction with the  information relevant to the process for the whole of Scotland.

Application forms and documents

The Council’s web page for the licensing scheme is here.

It includes a link to the Council’s guidance document.

To apply online you will need to have a MyAberdeenshire account which you can create here and you can then complete the online application form here.

To apply in paper, you can use one of these two formats:

Short-term let licence application (PDF 194KB)

Short-term let licence application (DOCX 61KB)

And then email with all supporting documents to stl@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

The supporting documents are:

• Current Electrical Certificates of Compliance: Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) (within last 5 years)

• Current Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Certificate (required for all appliances available to your guests) (within last 12 months)

• Gas Safety Certificate - to be provided by a suitably accredited Gas Safe Registered installer (within last 12 months)

• EPC Certificate (secondary lets only)

• Details (i.e., evidence of current cover) of your existing insurance arrangements for the premises, and Public Liability / Property Owners Liability Insurance to a minimum cover of £2m per dwelling

• Location and/or site plan for rural premises with multiple units

• Scottish Fire & Rescue Service checklist - This will be forwarded to Scottish Fire & Rescue Service

• Details including dimensions of rooms used for sleeping purposes

• Wholesome Private Water Supplies – evidence of satisfactory results within the last 12 months. Sampling by Aberdeenshire Council is recommended, however, results from a third party may be accepted (where appropriate). The application must include details of the treatment/filtration installed and maintenance undertaken.

Fees

Find the Council’s fees here. The relevant fee for most of our owners is that being charged for secondary letting (ie. when you let out accommodation that isn’t your only or principal home), and so it is that fee to which we’ve referred to below. The numbers refer to maximum guest capacity:

1 to 2 £450

3 to 4 £600

5-9 £760

10 to 15 £850

16 or more £940

Additional Conditions specific to Aberdeenshire Council

• Privacy and security in shared areas

• Safety when providing ancillary equipment e.g. boats, kayaks, paddleboards etc, bikes, play equipment

• Where property is 1st floor or above, shared entrance or close to other properties, take reasonable steps to ensure guests arrive outside 11pm – 7am

• After investigation of concerns regarding noise from hot tubs, take reasonable steps to ensure guests don’t use it after 11pm

• After investigation of noise concerns associated with outside music, take reasonable steps to ensure guests don’t do so after 11pm where it would impact neighbours

• Littering and waste disposal

• Prohibition of LPG room-heaters and storage of inflammable liquids

• Where solid fuel appliance such as wood burning stove, inspect and clean chimney and flue by suitable competent person and keep a record to be able to produce for Council on request Be able to produce on demand any document required by the licensing scheme

• Notifying the council of material changes affecting the premises or licence holder Reporting of incidents which have led to structural damage or involved a gas leak or fire involving the emergency services

• The licence holder must take reasonable steps to manage the premises in such a way as to seek and prevent and deal effectively with any anti-social behaviour by guests to anyone else in the short-term let and in the locality of the short-term let. The licence holder must take reasonable steps to:

• Ensure that no disturbance or nuisance arises within or from the premises, for example by explaining the house rules to the guests;

• Deal effectively with any disturbance or nuisance arising within or from the premises, as soon as practicable after the licence holder is made aware of it; and

• Ensure any vehicles belonging to guests are parked lawfully, for example explaining where any designated parking spaces are to be found and highlighting any local rules.

• Notify the council of any incident of anti-social behaviour necessitating police involvement

The full list of possible additional conditions are here from the top of page 3.