Item 3 Appendix 3 - Licensing of Short-term Lets - Review of Temporary Exemptions Policy
West Dunbartonshire Council · 24 September 2025
Back to Licensing Committee — 24 September 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Appendix 3 Responses from licence holders Response one Thanks for your email. Here’s my perspective: I believe it’s important to ensure there is sufficient short-term let (STL) accommodation available for guests during peak periods. The temporary licensing scheme is a positive step in this regard. However, it might be beneficial to require that operators have some prior experience—ideally, at least one year of managing short-term lets themselves. This doesn’t necessarily mean using a management company but having direct operational experience. Kind regards, Response two Dear Michael, With respect, I think that a consultation on further legislation is a bit farcical when the current legislation for STL is not fit for purpose. Furthermore, The DAB Valuation Board computer (which implements a large part of this system, the Council Tax/NDR values) system has been 'migrating' for the last 7 months - instead of thinking up how more red tape can be weaponised to punish the people of this district who seem to be trying their best, whilst being shut down at every opportunity, maybe it would be best to turn your attentions to getting your 'house in order' so that the current system the Scottish Government are trying to implement actually does what it is supposed to. As for your original question, an exemption should be just that, if it comes with conditions, then it isn't really an exemption. Yours Sincerely, Response from Building Standards The Building Standards service advised that it “would have concerns particularly if non-domestic properties that had not been assessed as suitable for sleeping accommodation were to be used in this way. The main concern would be matters relating to fire (escape, travel distances, early warning, lighting etc) and suitable provision (showers or similar). Non-domestic applications are assessed depending upon their final use, whilst domestic applications are assessed depending upon their
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final use, they are always assessed as though people are living and sleeping in them.” Response from Fire and Rescue Scotland The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service wrote that “[t]he decision to grant a licence does of course lie entirely with the council. However whether a licence is granted or exempted, [the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s] stance is that it is still a relevant premises and would fall under all the appropriate benchmark standards. By not having a licence, it would probably engage the need for a written FRA unless the undertaking hits any of the other triggers for written FRA requirement.”