Private landlords in Scotland must register with their Council to ensure that they are a "fit and proper person" to let property. It is the owner of the property who must apply.
Register on the Scottish Landlord Register
If you are unable to register/renew online please contact us.
Registration fees - from 1 April 2026
Fee for registration is £85 plus an additional £20 per property.
There are some discounted fees. details are on the Landlord Registration website.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) will typically attract a 100% discount on the principal and property fee, but only for the property that is covered by the HMO licence (additional non-HMO properties will be charged).
Registered Scottish Charities attract 100% discount.
Failure to renew will result in a Late Application Fee.
Landlord Accreditation
Landlord Accreditation Scotland is a voluntary scheme by which landlords and letting agents can assure tenants that the tenancy arrangements they have adhere to the high standards outlined in the Scottish Core Standards for Accredited Landlords.
Becoming an accredited landlord is a way of demonstrating to tenants that your management practices are above the minimum legal requirements.
For further information visit the Landlord Accreditation Scotland's website.
Guidance Notes
Landlords letting residential property in Scotland must register with, and be approved as ‘fit and proper’ by, the local authority in the area of the let property. Landlords letting property in multiple local authority areas must register with each local authority that they let property in.
Landlord's Registration lasts for three years and a renewal application must be made before an existing registration expires if the landlord is still letting property. Renewal applications can be made within the three months before a registration expires.
Whether you are applying for the first time or renewing an existing registration please read these notes before you begin.
Exemptions
There are exemptions from the requirement to register. The most common examples are:
- Live-in landlords – where a landlord lives in the same property as their tenant(s)
- Letting to a close family member – where a landlord lets a property to their mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter
- Short-term holiday lets
If you think you may be exempt from the requirement to register, please contact us for advice.
Applying or renewing
The landlord application form will ask for your personal details and information about your let property. This information is required by law.
The form will also ask you to confirm that you comply with various legal obligations around letting houses in Scotland.
As a registered landlord, you are required by law to keep your registration up to date. This includes your personal details, including your email address (if you have one) along with details of your let property. You can update your registration at any time by visiting Landlord Registration Scotland or by contacting the local authority.
Tolerable Standard and Repairing Standard
The Tolerable Standard is a basic level of repair that ensures a property is fit for a person to live in. The Repairing Standard is a basic level of repair that all private rented properties must meet.
Your obligations
Gas Safe certificate
Where a let property uses a gas supply it must be covered by a yearly Gas Safe certificate. This certificate is issued by a registered Gas Safe engineer. Please answer yes or no to this question, answering not applicable would only be appropriate if your let property does not have a gas supply or if you do not have a let property.
Electrical Safety
All let properties must have a current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or a current Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) at the time of let. An EIC certificate is appropriate if the electrical installation is less than 5 years old, an EICR certificate must be renewed every 5 years if it is more than 5 years since the electrical installation or when a change of tenancy occurs.
EICR and EIC certificates can be issued by a suitably qualified electrician.
Electrical appliance testing
In any let property where you supply electrical appliances portable appliance testing (PAT) must be carried out annually by a suitably qualified electrician. Answering not applicable would be appropriate if you do not supply electrical appliances in your let properties or if you do not have a let property.
Fire, smoke and heat detection
As a landlord it is your responsibility to comply with the repairing standard concerning fire, smoke and heat alarms. In order to comply there should be at least:
- one functioning smoke alarm in the room which is frequently used by the occupants for general daytime living purposes (normally the living room/lounge),
- one functioning smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways and landings, or in main room if no landing in upper storey
- one heat alarm in every kitchen
All alarms should be ceiling mounted, and be interlinked.
The ‘Not Applicable’ option would only be appropriate if you have no let properties.
Carbon monoxide detection
Private landlords have an obligation to ensure that a detection system is installed in all properties you rent where there is:
- a fixed combustion appliance (excluding an appliance used solely for cooking) or
- fixed combustion appliance in an inter-connected space, for example, an integral garage
- a combustion appliance necessarily located in a bathroom ( advice would be to locate it elsewhere ) - the CO detector should be sited outside the room as close to the appliance as possible.
Private water supply
As a landlord in Scotland you will likely find that most of your properties are supplied by Scottish Water. Approximately 3% of the Scottish population uses a private water supply for drinking water.
There is an additional question if your let property has a private water supply (not supplied by Scottish Water).
The Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 came into force in October 2017 and is intended to ensure the provision of clean, safe drinking water and to deliver significant health benefits to those using private water supplies.
Energy performance
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide information on how energy efficient your building is, and how it could be improved. Buildings are rated on a scale from A to G, with A being the most efficient. Information is also provided on measures which could be made to improve the energy efficiency and an indication of the cost for each improvement.
Landlords must have a current Energy Performance Certificate for their let properties, a copy of this must be given to new tenants at any change of tenancy and the EPC rate must be included in any advert for a rental property.
Legionella risk assessment
Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing Legionella. All water systems can provide an environment where Legionella may grow.
The landlord has a duty to ensure legionella risk assessment is carried out on their properties. This is to help guard their tenants against any risk of getting the illness from contaminated water. More information on Legionella is available from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Rental property insurance
If renting out a tenement or flat within Scotland you will be responsible for obtaining insurance cover for the reinstatement value of the tenement building/ block. This rule came in to effect in 2004 via the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004.
Common repair obligations
As a landlord you are responsible for repairing common areas, for example:
- the ground (solum) on which your building stands (but not always the garden)
- the foundations
- the external walls - but individual owners are responsible for the part of these walls that lies in their flat
- the roof (including the rafters)
- other structural parts of the building such as beams, columns and load bearing walls
- the close and stairs (when they are not mutual)
- staircases in blocks of flats.
Tenancy deposits
If you take a deposit from a tenant you must lodge it with one of the three government-backed tenancy deposit schemes:
- Letting Protection Service Scotland
- Safe Deposits Scotland
- My Deposits Scotland
The deposit must be lodged within 30 days of being received.
Convictions and judgements
As part of the approval process, local authorities must be satisfied that a person applying to be a private landlord in Scotland is ‘fit and proper’ to be letting residential properties. Landlords applying for registration must declare any unspent criminal convictions and spent convictions if not protected.
Landlords must also declare any court judgements or tribunal decisions relating to housing, discrimination or equality.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and Antisocial Behaviour Notices (ASBNs)
Landlords must declare any Antisocial Behaviours Orders or Antisocial Behaviour Notices served on them or their tenants.
Licences, registration and accreditations
Landlords should declare any licences i.e. HMO, registrations i.e. with another authority or accreditations (these are gained by attending courses on good practise for landlords), relating to housing. Landlords must also declare any negative decisions relating to licences, registration or accreditations.
You should tell us about any joint owners, Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) properties any Repairing Standard Enforcement Orders (RSEO) on the let property and details of your letting agent if you have one. If the joint ownership details are complicated please tell us separately about this.
A House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a house where:
- at least 3 or more unrelated people live in the same property, and
- they share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
HMOs must be licensed in their own right, if you think your property is an HMO and you don’t have a licence please contact us.
Agents
All owners of let properties must register and declare anyone who acts for them in relation to their letting.
An agent may be:
- a commercial agency
- a letting agency
- a property management agency
- an estate agency
- a charity
- someone who manages the property on your behalf
- a representative of an organisation, for example a factor, a trust or a company
A paid letting agent must be registered on the Scottish Letting Agent Register and adhere to the Letting Agent Code of Practice.
If someone manages your property for you without payment, their details must be noted on your registration. You will be charged £65, unless they already have their own separate registration.
Public register
Registered landlords and their let property will be displayed on the public search at Landlord Registration Scotland
This search facility enables tenants and neighbours to confirm a landlord or a property is registered.
It can also be used to obtain the contact details (address) of the landlord of a specific property. Landlords can opt to use their home address, the address of their agent or another relevant address. A registration is very much a matter between the landlord and the local authority so it is important that landlords do not use the address of the let property as their contact address.
Declaration
Landlords are required to complete the declaration and sign their application for registration.
Joint Owners
A landlord must declare any joint owners on their application. All joint owners must also apply to register separately, and renew registrations, in their own right. The lead owner will pay the appropriate fee and applications from the other joint owners are typically free of charge.