FOI Request - STL Licensing Fees

Request 101003826899

I am writing under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to request the following information regarding Short-Term Let (STL) licensing fees:

1. Income and Expenditure
For each financial year since the introduction of STL licensing (from 2023–24 onwards):
a) Total income received from STL licence fees
b) Total costs incurred in administering the STL licensing scheme

Please break costs down by main categories (e.g. staffing, processing, inspections, enforcement, digital systems) and provide any relevant financial documentation or budget papers evidencing this.

2. Fee Setting and Review
a) What assumptions were used when setting fees (e.g. projected licence volumes)?
b) Has the council reviewed fees now that actual application/licence numbers are known? If yes, please provide copies of any internal review, governance papers or minutes.
c) If no review has been undertaken, is one planned?

3. Income Beyond Cost Recovery
a) Has the council generated any income above the costs of running the scheme?
b) If so, how much, and how has this been recorded or allocated?

4. Reference to National Guidance
The Scottish Government’s More Homes Division stated that “the majority of the fees published so far by local authorities… fall within the estimate of £218 to £436 for a three-year licence predicted in the Scottish Government’s Business Regulatory Impact Assessment”. Please confirm how your current STL fees compare to this range, and how they reflect Scottish Government guidance to tailor fees by licence type and accommodation size.