Landlord licensing in South Ayrshire Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

HMO licensing applies where three or more unrelated people share a property. Landlords must apply to South Ayrshire Council for an HMO licence. You can find more information and apply on the council's website.

Additional licensing

There are no additional licensing schemes for private rented properties in South Ayrshire Council. HMO licensing and landlord registration apply. All private landlords and letting agents must be registered.

Selective licensing

There are no selective licensing schemes in South Ayrshire Council. All private landlords must register with the Scottish Landlord Register. Short-term let control areas may apply to holiday lets; check the council's website for current designations.

Towns covered

South Ayrshire

What this means for you

If you let a property in the South Ayrshire Council area, the first job is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. HMO licensing applies where three or more unrelated people share. Every private landlord and letting agent must also be entered on the Scottish Landlord Register held by the council. Some councils also operate short-term let control areas that affect holiday lets. Designations, fees and boundaries in Scotland change regularly, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy. Scottish lets use the private residential tenancy, which is open-ended, with the Repairing Standard and tribunal-based possession grounds. Whatever the licensing position, keep the same evidence pack for every South Ayrshire Council tenancy: a current gas safety record where there is gas, an EICR no more than five years old or an EICR that has passed its next test date, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and the required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website