Aberdeenshire Council is seeking the views of residents, visitors and other interested stakeholders on its draft short-term lets policy statement and proposed additional conditions for a licence.

Local authorities in Scotland are legally obliged to introduce a licensing scheme for properties operating as short term lets.

Under the new Civic Government Scotland Act 1982 (Licensing of Short Term Lets) Order 2022, all short-term lets must be licensed by July 2024.

There are four types of licence for short-term lets accommodation:

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• Secondary letting - The letting of property where you do not normally live, for example a second home that is let to guests

• Home letting - Using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, while you are absent. An example of this could be while you are on holiday

• Home sharing - Using all or part of your own home for short-term lets, while you are there

• Home letting and home sharing - Operating short-term lets from your own home while you are living there and for periods when you are absent

The online engagement process asks a number of questions around the proposed new short-term lets policy statement and additional conditions for a licence.

Among the topics are proposed fees, occupancy levels and children, the introduction of temporary licences and temporary exemptions.

The council is also proposing a number of additional conditions covering several specific areas of lets including antisocial behaviour, noise, waste collection and disposal, failure to maintain common areas and guest safety.