On 1st October 2022, Scotland moved to regulate short term letting (like Airbnb, VRBO, Bed and Breakfasts and even Guest Houses). What this means is that all short term let operators will now have to comply with many onerous requirements or forced to cease trading. 

Whilst it is not unreasonable for the Government to expect visitors to Scotland to be safe, and for operators of Short Term Lets to host visitors responsibly, the way the legislation is set out, a large percentage of operators  (particularly in Glasgow and Edinburgh) are set to go out of business. 

In this cost of living crisis, for many people hosting is a lifeline for supplementing incomes, so the rigidity of the legislation is completely unreasonable as it stands (many properties are obliged to apply for a change of use in addition to the license and its costly requirements). 

Short term lets hosts are just normal people sharing their spaces with travellers, professionals and overseas visitors. Some are pensioners renting their spare rooms to help pay their bills, others the owners of second homes providing affordable accommodation to families who cannot afford hotels, parents visiting students, actors performing in a local theatre, etc etc... By sharing these spaces we are helping to contribute to a connected world. And the world loves Scotland and its culture. 

As if this were not enough the Scottish Government has delegated the licensing locally to each Scottish constituency, so there are now 32 sets of different licensing laws for STL owners to comply with. 

This is the STRICTEST LEGISLATION IN THE WORLD set to destroy Short Term Letting. 

As such, we ask the SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT to reconsider:

• we ask for ONE SINGLE SIMPLE, REASONABLE AND CONSISTENT LICENSING SCHEME across the whole of Scotland.
• we ask the government to REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR CHANGE OF USE / PLANNING. The reasonable use of a private property should pertain to its owner. 
• we ask the government to encourage responsible hosting
• we ask for a refund for licenses that are not granted (because this can cause an operator to go bankrupt)

In a world of separation, we are asking the Scottish government to consider that co-operation is better, and that Tourists who love to experience our cities like and with locals, should not be penalised, and nor should the honest operators who have created lifestyles around this alternative form of tourism for the past decade or more. We ask our government to be modern and progressive and to review the draconian and out dated Licensing Scheme they have imposed before the livelihood of thousands of Scottish Hosts is destroyed.