Proposal of Short-Term Let Control Area in Highland Perthshire and the Northern part of Eastern Perthshire

Overview

The Council has voted to introduce a Short-Term Let Control Area in Highland Perthshire and the Northern part of Eastern Perthshire. This step is to seek views of the residents, businesses and communities about the proposal.

What is a Short-Term Let Control Area?

It is where the planning authority (Perth and Kinross Council) deem the ‘change of use’ to a short-term let in a ‘dwellinghouse’ to automatically be considered a ‘material’ change and therefore requires planning permission.

A short-term let is also known as a holiday let or self-catering. For the purposes of a Short-Term Let Control Area, a short-term let is not home letting or home sharing and therefore does not include B&Bs.

What does the change mean?

At the moment, the Council requires flats to apply for planning permission to change the use from a ‘flat’ to a new ‘short-term let’. In a control area, the Council will also require that houses apply for planning permission to change the use from a ‘house’ into a new ‘short-term let’.

A Short-Term Let Control Area will not apply retrospectively. If the change of use to short-term let happens before the Short-Term Let Control Area is introduced, then there is no change, and the existing position continues to apply. 

Note that the requirement for planning permission will not apply to short-term lets being used ‘lawfully’. You can find more information on this on the Council’s website at: www.pkc.gov.uk/shorttermletsandplanning.

Short-term let is abbreviated to STL in the graphics below.

Why is a Short-Term Let Control Area proposed?

A Short-Term Let Control Area will help the Council balance the needs and demand for homes for the benefit of the economy and communities.

A Control Area will also bring the requirement for planning permission into line with other forms of tourism accommodation such as chalets, yurts and conversions from non-residential uses.

Planning applications give the Council the opportunity to consider all planning matters when considering the ‘change of use’ of houses into short-term lets in each application. Planning matters will include character and amenity and loss of residential accommodation.

Where?

The map shows the area proposed to be designated as a Short-Term Let Control Area:

The Council has identified communities that are experiencing pressure in the housing market. In some of these locations there has been growing numbers of short-term lets in recent years, leading to added demand on buildings normally used as homes.

The tables below outline the numbers and growth of licensed short-term lets across Perth and Kinross.

Despite Council intervention, it remains difficult to build new homes and bringback homes into use in these rural areas to provide adequate accommodation for all competing uses.

The Council is clear that the Control Area will not affect existing short-term lets and it will not result in a blanket ban on all new short-term lets in the designated area. Nor is the Council proposing quotas or targets.

Why your views matter

The proposal has been approved by the Council. The supporting documents were agreed at a meeting of the Council on 7^th May 2025. The statutory process includes a formal consultation and the responses from this will be reported back to the Council for their consideration. Any Short-Term Let Control Area must be approved by Scottish Ministers