At Rettie, we have years of experience in the short-term letting market and are ideally placed to promote and manage your rental property.

We market properties proactively and are trusted by corporate and private guests looking for short-term rental solutions. We are also well-known by the production companies and performers who are taking part in the Edinburgh Festival for festival short lets. This means we attract reliable tenants that will provide you with the best possible rental returns and financial peace of mind.

If you are interested in short letting your property in Edinburgh, Glasgow, or across Scotland, get in touch. One of our lettings experts will be happy to discuss your individual circumstances and provide expert letting guidance and support.

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Short Let FAQs for Landlords

  • What do I need to do first?Chevron-down

    Get in touch and let us know your requirements. A member of the Rettie team will meet you at your property to talk through our services. They will also give you feedback to help you prepare your property for a short-let rental.

  • Do you provide a free appraisal?Chevron-down

    We provide a free property appraisal to assess the potential of your property as a short let. We will then advise you on how much you should charge to rent the property.

  • What scope of services do you offer?Chevron-down

    We can let your property for a minimum of a month. We can also manage continuous bookings of several months in length.

    Our service is adaptable:

    • We can fully manage your short let for you, taking care of guests as they check in and providing 24-hour maintenance support.

    • Or, if you wish to be more hands on, we can provide a booking-only service.

  • What is my property likely to rent for?Chevron-down

    This is very much a case-by-case issue. We will provide a rental estimate in line with the location, size and condition of your property.

  • What should my property be like?Chevron-down

    Short-let properties should offer a home-from-home feeling for guests. Your property must be structurally sound, in good order and clean. There should be reliable heating and hot water.

  • What should be provided in the kitchen?Chevron-down

    The kitchen or kitchen area should be provided with a good range of kitchen utensils, crockery and small electrical appliances, so that tenants can cook for themselves if necessary.

  • Do I need to provide Wi-Fi?Chevron-down

    Yes – guests are unlikely to book accommodation without it.

  • Do I need to provide linen and towels?Chevron-down

    Yes – beds should be freshly made, with a change of linen provide for each bed, and two towels per guest.

  • Do I need insurance?Chevron-down

    You must arrange landlord insurance for shorts lets.

  • What health and safety issues should I be aware of?Chevron-down

    • As a landlord you are legally required to have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and landlord gas safety certificate (if there is a gas supply to the property).

    • It is strongly recommended for landlords to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). As part of the EICR you must ensure that all the portable electrical appliances you supply have undergone Portable Appliance Testing.

    • You must ensure the property has the number of smoke, fire and heat detectors required by law. All alarms and detectors should be interlinked and ceiling mounted. They should either be mains-operated or powered by tamper-proof long-life lithium batteries.

    • You must ensure that Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector[s] are fitted in each room where there is a gas appliance.

    • You must carry out risk assessments for Legionnaire’s disease and implement any necessary risk-reduction measures.

  • Do I require a license?Chevron-down

    If you operate short-term let accommodation in Edinburgh you now need a licence. There are three types of licences available:

    • Home Sharing & Home Letting – for letting your own home/part of your home.

    • Secondary Letting – for letting a second home or investment property.

    • Temporary License – for letting a property for a six-week period within the year.

    If you are a new short-term let host or operator, you therefore need to submit a license application. You must wait until the license has been issued before you start operating.

    If your property is a second home or investment property you are also required to apply for planning permission to operate your short-term let.

    We will be happy to give you advice on these matters.

  • Do I need to provide an inventory?Chevron-down

    It is your responsibility as owner to provide a clear, up-to-date and full inventory of your property. You will also need to check off the contents of your property against the inventory at the end of each let. 

    To help, we can instruct a specialist inventory company to produce an initial inventory.

  • How does payment work?Chevron-down

    We take a deposit against every booking. Rental payment is then taken prior to the guest’s stay at the property.

  • When do I get paid?Chevron-down

    You are paid as soon as the deposit has been returned to the tenant. If the booking is a rolling month-to-month booking you will be paid at the end of each month.

 
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