Landlord licensing in Highland Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

HMO licensing applies where three or more unrelated people share a property and it is their only or main residence. Every HMO must be licensed by Highland Council.

Additional licensing

Highland Council does not operate a separate additional licensing scheme. Landlord registration and HMO licensing cover shared housing requirements.

Selective licensing

There is no selective licensing scheme in Scotland. Landlord registration applies to all private residential landlords across the Highland Council area. Highland Council has designated the Badenoch and Strathspey area as a short-term let control area.

Towns covered

Highland

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Highland Council area, you must ensure you meet all legal requirements. All private landlords must be entered on the Scottish Landlord Register. HMO licensing applies where three or more unrelated people share a property as their only or main residence. Some councils may also operate short-term let control areas that affect holiday lets, so check the council's own licensing pages. Scottish lets use the Private Residential Tenancy, which is open-ended, with the Repairing Standard and tribunal-based possession grounds. Maintain an evidence pack for every tenancy: a current gas safety record where gas is present, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and all required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website