Five short-let apartments proposed at 33 York Place

A central Edinburgh building on York Place could be converted to form five short-term let apartments under a new listed building consent application.

The proposal concerns 33 York Place, close to the east end of the city centre and the tram corridor between St Andrew Square, Picardy Place and the top of Leith Walk. The works would involve internal alterations and external changes, including alterations to windows and doors.

Because the application is for listed building consent, the focus is on how the proposed works would affect the character and fabric of the building, rather than simply whether short-term visitor accommodation is acceptable in principle.

What is proposed

The application seeks consent for internal and external alterations to create five short-term let apartments within 33 York Place.

The submitted description identifies three main elements:

• internal alterations to form the apartments;
• window and door alterations;
• changes associated with basement access.

The proposal is therefore not just a paper change of use. It would involve physical works to the building, including changes visible from outside as well as reconfiguration inside.

The application is classed locally under change of use and conversions, with tags including short-let, apartments, basement conversion, internal alterations, external alterations, and windows and doors.

The site

33 York Place sits in one of Edinburgh’s most sensitive central locations. York Place forms part of the northern edge of the New Town, linking Queen Street and St Andrew Square with Picardy Place and the routes towards Leith Walk and Broughton Street.

The area is busy throughout the day and evening. It includes hotels, offices, restaurants, cultural venues, tram stops, bus routes and residential properties. That mix means even relatively small conversions can attract attention, particularly where they involve visitor accommodation in historic buildings.

The building is identified in planning context as listed, and the wider setting is within Edinburgh’s historic city centre. In practical terms, that means details such as doors, windows, basement areas, internal plan form and surviving historic features can be central to the assessment.

Why it matters

Short-term let proposals in central Edinburgh are closely watched because they sit at the intersection of housing, tourism, heritage and neighbourhood management.

For residents and neighbouring businesses, the main practical questions are likely to be how the five apartments would operate, how access would work, and whether any physical changes would affect the appearance of the building or the street. For heritage groups and planning observers, the key issue is how the works interact with the listed character of the property.

York Place is also a prominent route into the city centre. Changes to doors, windows or basement access in this setting can matter beyond the individual address, because they contribute to the look and feel of a historic streetscape used by residents, visitors and commuters every day.

The scale is modest compared with a major redevelopment, but the combination of five short-let apartments, a listed building, and a central New Town location makes the application worth watching.

Listed building consent and short-term lets

Listed building consent is required for works that may affect the character of a listed building. That can include external alterations, but it can also include internal works, especially where historic layouts, walls, staircases, decorative features or other fabric may be affected.

This application is therefore different from a straightforward planning application for a new building or extension. The council will need to consider the proposed alterations in relation to the building’s special architectural or historic interest.

The short-term let element is also significant for local readers. Edinburgh has seen sustained debate over the growth of visitor accommodation, particularly in the city centre and heritage areas. A proposal for five short-term let apartments at a single address is likely to be of interest to neighbours, housing campaigners, tourism businesses and investors tracking how the city manages this type of use.

What to look for in the plans

Anyone reviewing the application documents should focus on the parts of the scheme that would change how the building works and how it appears from the street.

Useful points to check include:

• where the five short-term let apartments would sit within the building;
• what internal walls, doors or features would be altered;
• which windows and doors would change;
• how the basement access would be treated;
• whether any changes would affect the principal elevation onto York Place;
• how guests would enter, leave and move through the building.

The public documents should be read alongside the council’s planning portal entry, where drawings and any supporting information can be viewed as the case progresses.

What happens next

The application was received on 27 May 2026 and validated on 5 June 2026. Its status is currently listed as awaiting assessment.

At this stage, no decision has been issued. The council will assess the proposal through the listed building consent process and publish updates through its planning portal.

Residents, businesses and other interested parties can search the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal using reference 26/02273/LBC or the address 33 York Place Edinburgh EH1 3HP.