Grant of Short-Term Let Licence
Perth and Kinross Council · 6 March 2023
Back to Licensing Committee — 6 March 2023 and its agenda
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL LICENSING COMMITTEE 6 MARCH 2023 REPORT BY HEAD OF LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE SERVICES (Report No. 23/) TYPE OF APPLICATION Grant of a Short Term Let Licence APPLICANT Mrs Sofya Devyatova (Provisional Licence Number:- PK11137P) PREMISES (if applicable) 75 Muirton Place, Perth, PH1 5DL THE APPLICATION Mrs Sofya Devyatova the sole applicant, has applied for a three year short term let licence as an existing host (operating prior to the 1 October 2022). The application has been validated by Licensing Officers and was sent out for consultation. The Police and Fire Service have stated they have no objections to this application. Planning permission is required, and an application has been submitted to the Planning Department by the applicant and is being considered. Mrs Devyatova’s property is an upstairs flat within a block of four and is situated on the top floor left hand side. The property has 2 bedrooms and the applicant has applied for a maximum capacity of 4 guests. 7 letters of objection and 1 letter of representation have been received with regard to this application (see attached letters of objections and representation). Letters of support have been received on behalf of the applicant. RELEVANT LICENSING POLICIES The Council’s Short Term Let Policy was approved by the Licensing Committee on 22 September 2022. The Council’s Short-Term Lets Policy focuses on ensuring that an efficient, effective and proportionate licensing scheme is in place, which is customised to the needs and circumstances of the Council’s local area and supports applicants who wish to obtain a short-term let licence. The aims of the licensing scheme are: • to ensure all short-term lets are safe; • to facilitate licensing authorities in knowing and understanding what is happening in their area; and
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• to assist with handling complaints and address issues faced by neighbours effectively. In assessing an application for a short-term lets licence, the Council will consider: • the suitability of the person applying and that of the other people named on the application form (whether they are “fit and proper”); • compliance/ability to comply with mandatory conditions (applicable to all short-term lets across Scotland) (copy attached); • compliance/ability to comply with any additional conditions that the Council might attach to the licence (either specific to the accommodation, or specific to short-term lets in Perth and Kinross); and • the suitability of the premises in the context of Perth and Kinross Council’s policies. The Council may vary the terms of a licence on any grounds they think fit and can do this at any time. This can be done following an application made to the Council by the licence holder on their own initiative. This could include adding further conditions to the licence. The Council will consult with the statutory consultees and any other parties it considers appropriate. Conditions attached to a Short-term Let Licence Mandatory Conditions Any Licence will be subject to Conditions. Under the 2022 Order, there are certain conditions which the Council must attach to a short-term let licence, irrespective of the type of short-term let granted, whether it is Secondary Letting, Home Letting, Home Sharing or Home Letting and Home Sharing. These are known as “mandatory conditions” and are detailed at Annex A. Please note that the Council has no power to amend these mandatory conditions. All applicants should ensure, prior to applying for a short- term let licence of any type that they are able to comply with the mandatory conditions attached to a licence. Applicants should also note that in term of listing their premises as a licensed short-term let, as required under mandatory condition 14, the listing must include the licence number provided by the Council and the valid energy performance certificate rating) if an Energy
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Performance Certificate is required for the premises, in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008. LEGAL POSITION The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 provides grounds for refusal of a short-term let licence. Any decision to refuse a short-term let licence must be relevant to one or more the following grounds of refusal as detailed in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982:- A licensing authority must grant the application unless one of the grounds of refusal exists. If, in the opinion of the Committee, a ground of refusal exists then the application must be refused. The grounds of refusal are (a) the applicant or, where the applicant is not a natural person, any director of it or partner in it or any other person responsible for its management, is either - (i) for the time being disqualified under section 7(6) of this Act, or (ii) not a fit and proper person to be the holder of the licence; (b) the activity to which it relates would be managed by or carried on for the benefit of a person, other than the applicant, who would be refused the grant or renewal of such a licence if he made the application himself; (c) where the licence applied for relates to an activity consisting of or including the use of premises or a vehicle or vessel, those premises are not or, as the case may be, that vehicle or vessel is not suitable or convenient for the conduct of the activity having regard to - (i) the location, character or condition of the premises or the character or condition of the vehicle or vessel; (ii) the nature and extent of the proposed activity; (iii) the kind of persons likely to be in the premises, vehicle or vessel; (iv) the possibility of undue public nuisance; or (v) public order or public safety; or (d) there is other good reason for refusing the application; and otherwise shall grant the application.
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In deciding whether or not to grant or renew a Licence, the Council will consider each Application on its own merits and will take into account the following: • any Objections or Representations • this Licensing Policy Statement • any other relevant considerations OPTIONS The Committee need to consider whether the objections received relate to the activity of a short term let licence. The options open to the Committee are therefore to: • grant the application; • grant the application for a shorter period of time; • grant the application with additional conditions; or • refuse the application if one of the grounds for refusal exist. PROCEDURE • Consider any preliminary issues • Members of the public speak to their representation(s)/objection(s) • Committee asks any questions to the objectors • Applicant makes submission • Committee asks any questions of the applicant • Committee makes decision
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Annex A – Mandatory Conditions Mandatory conditions will be applied to all types of short-term let licences (as specified in schedule 3 of the Order) and Temporary Exemptions. The following are mandatory conditions and will apply to all licences issued:- Agents 1. Only those named as a holder of the licence can carry out the day to day management of the short- term let of the premises. Type of licence 2. The holder of the licence may only offer the type of short-term let for which the licence has been granted. Fire safety 3. The holder of the licence must ensure the premises has satisfactory equipment installed for detecting, and for giving warning of - (a) fire or suspected fire, and (b) the presence of carbon monoxide in a concentration that is hazardous to health. 4. The holder of the licence must keep records showing that all upholstered furnishings and mattresses within the parts of the premises which are for guest use, or to which the guests are otherwise permitted to have access, comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988(1). Gas safety 5. Where the premises has a gas supply - (a) the holder of the licence must arrange for an annual gas safety inspection of all gas pipes, flues and appliances in the premises, (b) if, after an annual inspection, any appliance does not meet the required safety standard, the holder of the licence must not allow a short-term let of the premises until the works necessary to bring the appliance to the required safety standard have been carried out. Electrical safety 6. Where there are electrical fittings or items within the parts of the premises which are for guest use, or to which the guests are permitted to have access, the holder of the licence must - (a) ensure that any electrical fittings and items are in - (i) a reasonable state of repair, and
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(ii) proper and safe working order, (b) arrange for an electrical safety inspection to be carried out by a competent person at least every five years or more frequently if directed by the competent person, (c) ensure that, following an electrical safety inspection, the competent person produces an Electrical Installation Condition Report on any fixed installations, (d) arrange for a competent person to - (i) produce a Portable Appliance Testing Report on moveable appliances to which a guest has access, and (ii) date label and sign all moveable appliances which have been inspected. 7. In determining who is competent, the holder of the licence must have regard to guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers under section 19B(4) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. Water safety: private water supplies 8. Where the premises are served by a private water supply, the licence holder must comply with the requirements on the owners of private dwellings set out in the Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. Water safety: legionella 9. The holder of the licence must assess the risk from exposure to legionella within the premises, whether or not the premises are served by a private water supply. Safety & repair standards 10. (1) The holder of the licence must take all reasonable steps to ensure the premises are safe for residential use. (2) Where the premises are subject to the requirements of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, the holder of the licence must ensure that the premises meet the repairing standard. Maximum Occupancy 11. The licence holder must ensure that the number of guests residing on the premises does not exceed the number specified in the licence.
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Information to be displayed 12. The holder of the licence must make the following information available within the premises in a place where it is accessible to all guests - (a) a certified copy of the licence and the licence conditions, (b) fire, gas and electrical safety information, (c) details of how to summon the assistance of emergency services, (d) a copy of the gas safety report, (e) a copy of the Electrical Installation Condition Report, and (f) a copy of the Portable Appliance Testing Report. Planning Permission 13. Where the premises is in a short-term let control area for the purposes of section 26B of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997(4) (“the 1997 Act”), the holder of the licence must, where the use of the premises for a short-term let requires planning permission under the 1997 Act, ensure that either— (a) an application has been made for planning permission under the 1997 Act and has not yet been determined, or (b) planning permission under the 1997 Act is in force. Listings 14. (1) The holder of the licence must ensure that any listing or advert (whether electronic or otherwise) for the short-term let of the premises includes - (a) the licence number, and (b) a valid Energy Performance Certificate rating if an Energy Performance Certificate is required for the premises, in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008(5). (2) The holder of the licence must ensure that any listing or advert (whether electronic or otherwise) for the short-term let of the premises is consistent with the terms of the short-term let licence. Insurance 15. The holder of the licence must ensure that there is in place for the premises - (a) valid buildings insurance for the duration of the licence, and (b) valid public liability insurance for the duration of each short-term let agreement.
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Payment of fees 16. The holder of the licence must pay any fees due to the licensing authority in respect of the licence on demand. False or misleading information 17. The holder of the licence must not provide any false or misleading information to the licensing authority. Interpretation 18. In this schedule - “Electrical Installation Condition Report” means a report containing the following information – (a) the date on which the inspection was carried out, (b) the address of the premises inspected, (c) the name, address and relevant qualifications of the person who carried out the inspection, (d) a description, and the location, of each installation, fixture, fitting and appliance inspected, (e) any defect identified, (f) any action taken to remedy a defect, “Energy Performance Certificate” means a certificate which complies with regulation 6 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008), “gas safety report” means a report containing the following information - (a) the date on which the appliance or flue was checked, (b) the address of the premises at which the appliance or flue is installed, (c) a description of and the location of each appliance or flue checked, (d) any safety defect identified, (e) any remedial action taken, (f) confirmation that the check undertaken complies with the requirements of an examination of - (i) the effectiveness of any flue, (ii) the supply of combustion air, (iii) subject to head (iv), its operating pressure or heat input or, where necessary,
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(iv) if it is not reasonably practicable to examine its combustion performance, (v) its operation so as to ensure its safe functioning, (g) the name and signature of the individual carrying out the check, and (h) the registration number with which that individual, or that individual’s employer, is registered with a body approved by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998(7), “holder of the licence” means any person to whom a short-term let licence has been granted or jointly granted, “home letting” means a short-term let consisting of the entering into of an agreement for the use, while the host is absent, of accommodation which is, or is part of, the host’s only or principal home, “home sharing” means a short-term let consisting of the entering into of an agreement for the use, while the host is present, of accommodation which is, or is part of, the host’s only or principal home, “premises” means the accommodation which is the subject of an application for a short-term licence or the subject of a short-term licence, “repairing standard” means the steps which the holder of the licence is required to take to comply with the obligations placed on the holder by Chapter 4 of Part 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006(8), “secondary letting” means a short-term let consisting of the entering into of an agreement for the use of accommodation which is not, or is not part of, the licence holder’s only or principal home, “short-term let” has the same meaning as in article 3 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, “short-term let licence” means a licence for a short-term let, and “type of short-term let” means one of the following purposes - (a) secondary letting, (b) home letting, (c) home sharing, or (d) home letting and home sharing.