Private landlords
Registration of private landlords
make sure that you read the Privacy Notice before applying for a licence
The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act – Changes from 1 April 2024
The Scottish Government has made changes to the temporary rent cap and evictions protections brought in by the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act which will no longer apply from 1 April 2024.
You can view the changes on The Scottish Government Cost of living: rent and eviction webpage.
Changes to Registration Requirements
On Monday 16 September 2019 new legislation came into force which will affect your applications and renewals.
Fees
The proposed increase in fees by the Scottish Government has now been passed by Parliament.
From 9am on 1 April 2025 the fees are -
- Principal fee £82 (£41 in multi-area applications)
- Property fee £19 per property
- Late application fee £164
Anyone who owns residential property in Scotland which is let must apply to register with the local authority for the area where the property is located, unless covered by one of the exemptions.
Landlord Registration Exemptions
Joint Owners
Where there is more than one owner of a property, you nominate one as the lead landlord and they are responsible for paying the principal application fees. Joint owners do not pay the principal fees, unless they are also the lead owner of a separate property or if they are subject to a late application fee. Each owner will have their own unique registration which is connected to the other owners through the jointly owned property. Each owner is responsible for renewing their own registration.
Agents
Commercial letting agents from January 2018 must now be registered on the Scottish Letting Agent Register. The landlord registration team can provide further information if you contact Landlord.registration@highland.gov.uk.
Valid Applications
If a valid application has not been submitted after two requests from the local authority, a late application fee of £164, in addition to the registration fees will be applied to each applicant. Failure to apply after this point might result in a rent penalty notice being served for each property, which means that no rent shall be payable until a valid application has been submitted and the notice has been revoked. If a valid application has still not been submitted, the ultimate sanctions are a report to the Procurator Fiscal, a criminal conviction and a maximum fine of up to £50,000.
Applications may be made online using the link below or by downloading and submitting an application form to the local authority with the appropriate fee.
If applicants are found to be not fit and proper then a report will be submitted to the Highland Licensing Committee for a hearing to determine whether the applicant should be entered in or removed from the register.
Change of circumstances
You must ensure that your registration details are kept up to date either by amending them online or by notifying us in writing or by email using our contact details below. Failure to do so is an offence under the Act.
It is our legal obligation to maintain the register and to provide advice and assistance relevant to the registration scheme. It is not our responsibility to make sure the landlord's registration details are up to date.