Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 30 June 2025

Applications: local area

Table 2 shows the number of applications received broken down by local authority and whether they are valid or to be validated. Highland, Edinburgh, Argyll & Bute, and Fife accounted for 55% (20,093) of all validated applications (36,594) received up to 30 June 2025.

Table 2: Total applications received between October 2022 and end of June 2025 by local authority

Map 1: Number of valid applications for short term lets per 10,000 dwellings, up to June 2025

Map 1 shows the rate of valid applications per 10,000 dwellings in each of the local authorities in Scotland. The very highest rates generally coincide with relatively lower population authorities which are highly attractive to tourism. Although, in general, there were high numbers in the cities, these also had relatively high numbers of dwellings.

Table 5 in the supporting documents Excel workbook lists the number of applications received and validated by individual data zone area. Statistical data zones are the key geography for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland, designed to have roughly standard sized populations of 500 to 1,000 household residents.

A total of 3,696 data zones have had at least one application received and validated to 30 June 2025, which equates to 54% of the total 6,796 data zones in Scotland.