Edinburgh's short-let planning decisions, by the numbers.
Since September 2022, all secondary letting of entire dwellings in Edinburgh requires planning permission. The council has refused over 80% of applications.
In 2025, the council has refused 464 applications and approved just 88 — a 84% refusal rate on decided cases.
All STL applications in this lens since 3 Jan 2025.
Of all decided applications (approved vs refused).
46% of visible cases still open.
283 applications — more than any other postcode.
84% of decided applications have been refused.
Based on 552 decided records in the active lens.
Type a street name, postcode, or address above to highlight matching applications on the map and see a results list.
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Type a street name, postcode, or address above to highlight matching applications on the map and see a results list.
Rolling 12-month trend
Peak month detected — applications were higher than usual during this period.
By application volume
Entire buildings, flat by flat.
Buildings with the highest number of individual short-let applications in the full archive.
Top postcode districts
By total applications under the active lens.
Top streets
Street-level clustering from the current lens.
How each hotspot splits by route type
| District | Total | FULSTL | CLESTL | CLPSTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EH1 | 283 | 174 | 107 | 2 |
| EH3 | 202 | 135 | 67 | 0 |
| EH7 | 143 | 90 | 53 | 0 |
| EH8 | 121 | 80 | 41 | 0 |
| EH2 | 79 | 55 | 24 | 0 |
| EH6 | 79 | 60 | 19 | 0 |
Most recent decisions
The freshest decided records — useful for sensing whether the council is changing over time.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Retrospective change of use of premises to short term let accommodation.
Change of use of flat to short term let.
Erection of a single storey detached chalet at Land Adjacent to Lowood House (short term letting holiday accommodation).
The property has been consistently used a STL since December 2015 (with the exception of 2021 COVID restrictions, changeovers or renovation).
Retrospective change of use of premises to short term let accommodation.
Change of Use from dwelling house (Class 9) to short-term let (Sui Generis).
Change of use to premises to short term let (Sui Generis).
Retrospective change of use to premises to form short term let accommodation.
Application for a certificate of lawfulness for a short term let.
Latest applications
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Short term let.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 4 persons together.
All cases under the active lens
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Short term let.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 4 persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 4 persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 4 persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 6 persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to three persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to four persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short-stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to two persons together
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 2 persons together.
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to 2 persons together.
Change of use from Class 4 (Offices) to serviced apartments (sui generis in retrospect).
Use of entire flatted dwelling as short-stay residential accommodation, by single persons, or up to four persons together.
Short term let (change of use to short term let took place within the last 10 years but is not material change of use).
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short-term let accommodation is lawful.
Retrospective change of use from and alterations to former Joiner's store (Class 6) to serviced apartment (sui generis).
Existing use and continual use for over 10 years as a short term let accommodation for tourism.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Change of use from offices to serviced apartments. Associated internal plan changes, reinstatement of original door to common stair, alteration from door to window to rear.
Change of use from commercial (Class 1A) and part residential accommodation (Sui Generis) to short term let accommodation including external alterations.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Application for the issue of a Certificate of Lawfulness confirming its existing use as short term let accommodation is lawful.
Three routes. Very different outcomes.
Full Planning Permission
Applies for permission to change a residential property to secondary short-term letting. In this dataset, most decided cases are refused. Many applications are retrospective.
Certificate of Lawful Existing Use
Confirms a property was used as a short-term let before the control area was designated (September 2022). Typically requires evidence of long-running use. Approval rates can differ from FULSTL.
Certificate of Lawful Proposed Use
For proposed short-term let use not yet commenced. Less common in this dataset than FULSTL or CLESTL.
The report gives you the macro picture. The map gives you the streets.
Jump into the filtered planning feed or the live map to inspect individual records, explore your neighbourhood, or track new decisions as they arrive.