Almost 90 percent of Airbnb-style applications rejected in Edinburgh

Landlords must apply for licences to run short-term lets following national legislation passed by MSPs in 2022. Those who fail to comply with the regulations face a fine of £2,500.

In Edinburgh, new operators must apply for planning permission before applying for the licence.

For properties that have been used as a short-term let for more than 10 years, a certificate of lawfulness is required instead of planning permission.

Gilson Gray’s FOI showed the success rate for these properties was much higher at 75%, compared to just 10% for those who needed planning permission first.

But the law firm said that because Edinburgh is also a short-term let control area, properties operating such businesses that are not within someone’s principal home are also required to get planning permission.

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Karen Gatherum, solicitor and licensing specialist at Gilson Gray, said: “The number of rejected planning applications for short-term lets lays bare…