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Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) statistics are publicly available at: http://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-houses-in-multiple-occupation/ . The statistics are provided by local authorities each year through the Housing Statistics Annual Return and include: applications received, applications refused, applications granted, licenses revoked or suspended and licenses in force.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the cost of administering HMO licensing. Whilst the Scottish Government set out the legislative framework for the licensing of HMOs in Scotland, local authorities have full responsibility for it’s operational delivery at a local level.

We intend that local authorities will be able to charge a fee to cover the costs of administering the licensing scheme in their area. We will work with stakeholders as we develop the detail of the regulations for the licensing of short-term lets to prepare a full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), which will accurately reflect the costs to participants. The BRIA will accompany the draft regulations when they are laid at the Scottish Parliament.

There is currently a shortage of reliable information on the precise number, location and nature of short-term lets in Scotland. One of the benefits of introducing a licensing scheme will be to gather this information, which will enable us to see how short-term let activity changes over time.

The top priority for the licensing scheme will be to help ensure the safety of visitors, hosts and local communities. However, local authorities will have the discretion to put in place further conditions to tackle littering or overcrowding of properties, for example. The licensing scheme, taken together with new powers to introduce short-term let control areas, and the Scottish Government’s review of their tax treatment, will give local authorities the tools they need to manage short-term let activity appropriately within their areas.

Safety is a concern across all types of short-term lets, whether the host is sharing their own home or renting out one or more entire properties. That is why the safety component of the licensing scheme will be mandatory for all short-term lets in Scotland, regardless of the type of short-term let.

Sixteen of Scotland’s local authorities responded to the consultation on a regulatory framework for short-term lets in Scotland. Fifteen of those sixteen noted agreement that there should be minimum safety standards for short-term lets, with most agreeing that this should apply to all short-term lets. The majority of local authorities responding supported some form of registration or licensing scheme.

 We intend that local authorities will be able to charge a fee to cover the costs of administering the licensing scheme in their area. We will work with stakeholders as we develop the detail of the regulations for the licensing of short-term lets to prepare a full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), which will accurately reflect the costs to participants. The BRIA will accompany the draft regulations when they are laid at the Scottish Parliament.

Section 17 of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 was inserted by a non-Government amendment at stage 3 of the Scottish Parliament’s consideration of the Planning (Scotland) Bill.

At this stage no such assessment has been made. The Scottish Government is currently drafting proposals for regulations to implement the provisions of section 17 which will be subject to public consultation shortly. The supporting documents, including a draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, will be published as part of the consultation and open to comment.

An update is provided below on the national performance levels across Scotland. Performance has remained steady for building warrant applications turnaround times over 2017-18 and 2018-19. Scottish Government officials regularly monitor the performance of all local authorities through performance returns, and update the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning on a regular basis. Where performance issues are identified tailored support is offered when required.

Key Performance Outcomes (KPO) - KPO1 Summary – Scotland

Glasgow and Stirling were appointed for a period of three years from 1 May 2019 and City of Edinburgh Council for two years from 1 May 2019, with a commitment to review after one year.

In all cases the appointment is dependent on the verifier meeting the verification Operating Framework 2017 and the verification Performance Framework 2017. This includes satisfying Scottish Ministers that the Authority is meeting, and continues to meet, performance measures. The extension to the one or three year appointment periods was subject to the authority submitting a Continuous Improvement Plan to Scottish Government by 31 May 2020.

The safety of guests, hosts, neighbours and local residents is of paramount importance, which is why the safety element of the licensing scheme will be compulsory for short-term lets across Scotland. We will now be engaging widely with stakeholders to develop the detail of the scheme, including the mandatory safety requirements. We will consider electrical safety as part of this process.