Not legal advice. This is a plain-English summary for hosts, checked against the Scottish Government's official guidance on 10 October 2026. Easy Stay is a cleaning company, and using our services doesn't make a property licence-compliant: the licence holder is responsible for meeting every condition. If you're unsure, read the official guidance, speak to your council, or take legal advice.
Who needs a licence
Since the Licensing Order came into force on 1 March 2022, every short-term let in Scotland needs a licence from the local council (the "licensing authority") where the property is. A short-term let is, broadly, accommodation let in the course of business to guests who don't live there as their main home. Each property needs its own licence.
You can advertise before your licence is granted, but you can't take bookings or receive guests until it's issued. Some councils offer temporary exemptions or temporary licences (for example around big events); your council's website says whether it does.
The four types of licence
Your licence is granted for one type of let:
- Home sharing: letting a room in the home where you live while you're there
- Home letting: letting your own home while you're away
- Home sharing and home letting: both of the above
- Secondary letting: letting a property where you don't normally live, such as a second flat bought to let
The mandatory conditions
Every licence comes with mandatory conditions that apply across Scotland, and councils can add their own. The mandatory conditions cover:
- day-to-day management only by the licence holder (or the agent or manager named on the application)
- only operating the type of let you're licensed for
- fire safety: a fire risk assessment, smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms, and fire-safe furniture and furnishings
- gas safety: an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer
- electrical safety: an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at least every five years, and portable appliance testing
- water safety: a Legionella risk assessment (which you can usually do yourself)
- safety and repair: the property must meet the repairing standard
- maximum occupancy, as set on your licence
- displaying information to guests, and what goes on your listings (see below)
- planning permission, where it's needed
- insurance: valid buildings insurance and public liability insurance for each let
- paying fees, and giving true and accurate information
Your listing, and the information inside
Every listing or advert, online or in print, must show:
- your licence number
- the maximum number of guests
- the property's EPC rating (for home letting and secondary letting, where an EPC is required)
Inside the property, guests must be able to find a certified copy of the licence and its conditions, fire, gas and electrical safety information, how to call the emergency services, copies of the gas safety, EICR and PAT reports, and what to do if the carbon monoxide alarm sounds. A clearly labelled folder by the door is the simplest way to do it.
Planning permission
Licensing and planning are separate. Turning a home into a short-term let can be a "material change of use" that needs planning permission, and in a council-designated short-term let control area it always does for secondary letting of a whole dwelling. Whether you need permission depends on the property and the council's policy, so check with the council's planning team before you apply for a licence.
Applying in Glasgow
In Glasgow, the licensing authority is Glasgow City Council. Its short-term let pages set out the application process, the current fees, its local licensing policy and any additional conditions. Fees vary between councils and by property, so always check the council's current figures. As everywhere in Scotland, you must display a site notice at or near the property for 21 days from the date you apply, so neighbours know about the application, and then confirm to the council that you did.
Glasgow City Council: short-term let licence
How long it lasts, and penalties
A first licence lasts up to three years, and you apply to renew it before it runs out. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence: according to mygov.scot, you can be fined up to £2,500 and banned from applying for a licence for a year.
Where cleaners fit in
The official guidance says you don't need to name cleaners on your licence application just because they go into the property. An agent or day-to-day manager is different: their details are required. A cleaning service helps you keep a safe, well-presented property, but it doesn't meet any licence condition on your behalf. That stays with the licence holder.
Getting ready for an inspection or a fresh set of listing photos? Our turnovers keep the flat at the standard guests and inspectors expect.
Official sources
- Scottish Government, Short term lets: licensing scheme part 1, guidance for hosts and operators (published 25 March 2026)
- The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, as amended in 2023 and 2024
- mygov.scot, Getting a short-term let licence (last updated 9 October 2025)
- Glasgow City Council, Short term let licence
Last checked 10 October 2026.