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Owner Responsibilities in Scotland
The Scottish Government requires hosts operating short-term rentals in Scotland to follow their local council’s licencing rules in order to offer rentals on our website.
The licencing scheme covers most types of short-term rental property. Aparthotels and hotels or B&Bs with a premises that has an alcohol licence under the Licencing (Scotland) Act 2005 are not included in the scheme. There are different types of licence available depending on whether you are renting out your primary residence or a second home.
The Scottish Government has developed an online tool which can help you determine whether you need a licence and if so, what type of licence is necessary.
If you require a licence, we encourage you to apply without delay as local councils expect to receive a high volume of applications.
If you were already offering your property as a short-term rental before 1 October 2022, and have applied for a licence before 1 October 2023, you can continue taking bookings while you wait for the local council to approve your licence.
If you were not offering your property as a short-term rental before 1 October 2022, you must apply for a licence before you start taking bookings.
To apply for a licence, you can use the Scottish Government’s online tool to be directed to the correct application form, or visit the website of your local council directly for more information.
Once your application has been approved, it is your responsibility to edit your VRBO listing to display your licence number. This is a requirement of the scheme and will show you are an approved short-term rental property.
To display your license number on your listing:
- Login to your VRBO owner dashboard.
- Locate the Local Laws tab on the left side of the page.
- Locate the “Registration information” section.
- Enter your number in the “Registration number (optional)” field.
Once your licence number is added to your dashboard, it will appear on your listing.