Private rented sector
The Council provides general advice for landlords on how to effectively operate their business including how to comply with the law affecting their let.
6.1 Landlord registration
Most private sector landlords need to register themselves with the Council as part of the scheme, unless they are specifically exempt from the requirement to register as a landlord. Licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
, where three or more unrelated people live in a property, are required to meet additional safety standards and obtain a licence from the Council. The Council carries out property inspections on those properties that require an HMO licence.
The Council provides information on applying for a licence. A rental property must meet certain standards before a licence will be granted. The offers guidance on these standards. The Council has also published an HMO Best Practice Guide to ensure properties meet or exceed the minimum standards required.
6.2 Short term lets
You now need a licence to operate a short-term let and cannot take bookings or receive guests on a short-term basis unless a licence is in place for the property. The Council has a Short Term Lets Licensing Policy which provides guidance for prospective applicants, existing licence holders and those who may wish to object to an application. The Council will also carry out inspections of short term let properties to ensure that they meet the required standard.
6.3 Enforcement
Members of the public can raise concerns about privately let property if they believe there has been a breach of the law relating to private rented property. These concerns will be investigated by the Private Rented Sector enforcement team in line with its enforcement policy with the aim of providing advice and assistance to allow parties to resolve their issues at an early stage.
The Council has adopted the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA’s) Enforcement Concordat which promotes good practice in enforcement to deliver an approach that is proportionate, open and consistent. A formal enforcement policy was considered by the Council’s Regulatory Committee on 6 September 2013.