Short-term let rules in Midlothian (updated 29 Oct 2026)
Last checked: 5 official source pages for this council scanned automatically for changes on 2 Nov 2026What changed
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Last checked 29 Oct 2026: no change logged for this council in our changes log. Get free alerts when it changes.
Licence needed (£541 for a secondary let up to 4 bedrooms, new or renewal, from Apr 2026). No control area. No visitor levy; council to reassess in 2026.
Licensing or registration
AppliesLicence needed (Scotland-wide). All short-term lets (secondary letting, home letting, home sharing) need a licence from the council before taking bookings or guests. Step-by-step licence guide and checklist. Midlothian Council asks you to pay online first; the payment receipt number and time then go on the main application form.
Questions go to shorttermlet@midlothian.gov.uk. The council links its Short-term Lets Policy (2022), a fire safety checklist and a Legionnaires' disease risk assessment, and publishes a public licence register.
Renew before your licence expires: if you do, you can keep operating until the old licence ends or the council decides, whichever is later. A late renewal is treated as a new application and you must stop taking bookings until it is granted; the council may accept one made within 28 days of expiry on good grounds, case by case.
Operating without a licence can mean a fine of up to £2,500 and a one-year ban from applying.
Control area / planning
None foundNo control area. mygov.scot lists only two in Scotland (all of Edinburgh, and Badenoch & Strathspey in Highland). You may still need planning permission depending on the property, and secondary lets must show their planning status when applying.
Source: source
Visitor levy
None foundNo levy. Midlothian ran a visitor levy survey in 2024 (24 responses), which the council called inconclusive.
Officers are monitoring Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute and Aberdeen and said Midlothian would reassess a levy in 2026; we found no 2026 decision yet (searched 24 Oct 2026). A 2023 council report estimated a levy might raise about £180k a year against running costs of £190k to £500k.
Any Scottish levy needs at least 18 months' notice.
Fees
Fees from 1 April 2026, the same for a new licence or a renewal. Secondary letting: up to 4 bedrooms / 8 guests £541; 5 to 8 bedrooms / 16 guests £609; 8 to 12 bedrooms / 16 to 24 guests £767; above that £61 per extra room or guest.
Home sharing or home letting: 1 bedroom / 3 guests £247; 2 to 3 bedrooms / 9 guests £290; 4 bedrooms / 9 guests £383; above that £61 per extra room or guest. A material change or licence transfer costs £315 / £368 / £452 (secondary) or £116 / £152 / £221 (home), and a variation £89.
Duplicate licence £37; a visit made necessary by the host's failure £127 an hour.
Source: source
Compare Midlothian's licence fees with other Scottish councils
What changed in Midlothian
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- Added council pages for Midlothian (2026/27 licence fees from £541 for a secondary let; levy to be reassessed in 2026) and West Lothian (planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness needed with every licence application; two conflicting fee tables flagged). Both added to the levy map's 'None proposed yet' group. Official source
Newest first. Every UK change is in the changes log. Nothing here is legal advice: check the official source before acting.
Scotland tools
- Compare licence fees across all 32 Scottish councils
- How to get a short-term let licence (steps and checklist)
- Business rates or council tax? 140/70 nights checker
- Fire safety for short-term lets (alarms, doors, checklist)
- Insurance: the buildings and public liability licence condition
- Visitor levy map
Not sure what applies to your let? Use the free licence checker: pick your nation, council and type of let for a plain-English answer with the official source.
Buying here? See the buyer checks for Midlothian: licence or registration, planning, visitor levy, business rates or council tax, plus the lender, insurance and title checks to make before you buy.
Key dates
- 1 Oct 2022: licensing scheme opens
- 1 Apr 2026: current fees apply
- 2026: council to reassess a visitor levy
Midlothian short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a short-term let licence in Midlothian?
Licence needed (Scotland-wide). All short-term lets (secondary letting, home letting, home sharing) need a licence from the council before taking bookings or guests. Step-by-step licence guide and checklist. Midlothian Council asks you to pay online first; the payment receipt number and time then go on the main application form. Questions go to shorttermlet@midlothian.gov.uk. The council links its Short-term Lets Policy (2022), a fire safety checklist and a Legionnaires' disease risk assessment, and publishes a public licence register. Renew before your licence expires: if you do, you can keep operating until the old licence ends or the council decides, whichever is later. A late renewal is treated as a new application and you must stop taking bookings until it is granted; the council may accept one made within 28 days of expiry on good grounds, case by case. Operating without a licence can mean a fine of up to £2,500 and a one-year ban from applying.
Do I need planning permission for a short-term let in Midlothian?
No control area. mygov.scot lists only two in Scotland (all of Edinburgh, and Badenoch & Strathspey in Highland). You may still need planning permission depending on the property, and secondary lets must show their planning status when applying.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Midlothian?
No levy. Midlothian ran a visitor levy survey in 2024 (24 responses), which the council called inconclusive. Officers are monitoring Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute and Aberdeen and said Midlothian would reassess a levy in 2026; we found no 2026 decision yet (searched 24 Oct 2026). A 2023 council report estimated a levy might raise about £180k a year against running costs of £190k to £500k. Any Scottish levy needs at least 18 months' notice.
How much does a short-term let licence cost in Midlothian?
Fees from 1 April 2026, the same for a new licence or a renewal. Secondary letting: up to 4 bedrooms / 8 guests £541; 5 to 8 bedrooms / 16 guests £609; 8 to 12 bedrooms / 16 to 24 guests £767; above that £61 per extra room or guest. Home sharing or home letting: 1 bedroom / 3 guests £247; 2 to 3 bedrooms / 9 guests £290; 4 bedrooms / 9 guests £383; above that £61 per extra room or guest. A material change or licence transfer costs £315 / £368 / £452 (secondary) or £116 / £152 / £221 (home), and a variation £89. Duplicate licence £37; a visit made necessary by the host's failure £127 an hour.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
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