Councils must have a new tourism licensing regime up and running by October 1.
The new rules mean all self-catering properties, B&Bs, guest houses, glamping pods and yurts will need to apply for a license.
In the Highlands, that’s as many as 10,000 operators.
Anyone running a business like this will need to apply to Highland Council for a short-term lets license and complete a range of safety checks.
What’s changing?
The Scottish Government granted new licensing powers to local authorities in January 2022.
The government hopes the licensing plan will help balance the economic benefits of tourism against the needs and concerns of local communities.
Under the new rules, operators will need to meet safety requirements including a ‘fit and proper’ test of accommodation.
Every license application will go to the police and fire service for checking, in addition to the council’s environmental health and planning teams.
However, Highland Council says it doesn’t have capacity to take on this task.
As such, it’s launching a “significant” recruitment drive to get ready.
The council aims to process most applications online and is setting up a dedicated mailbox to handle enquiries.
The details of the license fee will go out to public consultation, but it’s expected to cost £300-600.
Council hopes to introduce controls in Badenoch and Strathspey
The council is also taking advantage of new planning laws introduced by the Scottish Government in April 2021. These will allow areas with huge tourist demand to introduce ‘control areas’.
The Badenoch and Strathspey area – home to Cairngorms National Park – has a chronic shortage of affordable housing due to demand for holiday lets. Highland Council recently completed a public consultation into the possibility of rent control there.
The council plans to ask the Scottish Government to grant a control area for Badenoch and Strathspey in the autumn, with a view to it taking effect by the end of the year.
Highland licensing committee will look at the short-term lets plan at its meeting on Monday 20 June. If members agree, the council will launch a six-week public consultation running from June to August.
This is the busiest period in the trade calendar. However, Highland Council says it’s essential to hit the ground running if it’s to meet the October deadline.
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