Short-term lets and planning

The purpose of this page is to outline East Dunbartonshire’s position regarding the requirement for planning permission for using a house or flat as a short-term let.

The advice is intended for current or potential landlords managing a short-term let property. It is based on Scottish Government advice contained here: Supporting documents - Short term lets: planning guidance for hosts and operators and on Circular 1/2023 – Short-Term Lets and Planning - Planning circular 1/2023: short-term lets and planning.

It should be noted that this page only relates to short-term lets as defined in Annex A of the above Circular. It does not relate to private residential tenancies or home letting (i.e. letting all or part of your home whilst you are absent for a limited period but the property remains your principal home).

The following scales of short term let will not require planning permission as they would remain within Class 9 – Houses as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes)(Scotland) Order 1997:

• A house containing fewer than four bedrooms in total where only one bedroom is being let
• A house containing four or more bedrooms in total where one or two bedrooms are being let.

If you intend to let out more rooms than described above or an entire property then this would be considered a material change of use and you would require planning permission.

An application for planning permission can be made at the eDevelopment Scotland website.

If you are unsure if planning permission is required then please contact the duty planning officer at planning@eastdunbarton.gov.uk