A closer look at short-term lets in Edinburgh from both sides of the door: what a stay with us is like, and what it takes to let your own home well.
Short-term lets in Edinburgh: two ways in
Most people arrive on this page with one of two questions. Where should I stay? Or, could my home earn as a short let? We look after both, so the rest of this page is split the same way. Guests first, then owners.
If you're planning a visit, start with all our homes and the Edinburgh visitor guides. They're written by people who live here, and they cover the things a listing can't: which hill you'll be climbing with a suitcase, where to eat on a wet Tuesday, and how to get in from the airport.
If you own a home in Edinburgh or East Lothian, the owners' page sets out how our management works, and our fees are published in full. A free plan for your home is the easiest first step. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
When to reach us
- Guests staying with us: messages are answered 9am to midnight, every day, and there's an emergency line 24/7 during your stay on +44 (0)131 560 6614.
- Owners, companies and general enquiries: phone, WhatsApp and email, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
- Neighbours: the neighbours' page explains who to contact, including out of hours.
Everything else is on our contact page.
Staying in an Edinburgh short let: what to expect
A short let isn't a hotel, and that's most of the appeal: a kitchen, a proper sofa and a front door of your own. Here's how a stay with us works.
- Book. Many homes take instant booking. Minimum stays depend on the home and the season, and are longer in August and over New Year.
- Check your ID. We verify every guest before an access code is sent. It's for your safety and the neighbours' peace of mind.
- Get your arrival details. Check-in is by lockbox or smart lock, so there's no waiting on a street corner for a key.
- Settle in. Each home has a house guide with local tips. The home has been cleaned, the linen changed and everything checked against the photos.
- Ask if you need anything. Our guest team answers from 9am to midnight. Early check-in or late check-out can be requested in the app up to 24 hours before, and it's confirmed once accepted and paid.
The Visitor Levy
Since 24 July 2026, stays in the City of Edinburgh include a Visitor Levy of 5% on the accommodation cost, for the first five nights. It's set by the council and doesn't apply in East Lothian. The guest guide covers check-in, house rules and the rest of your stay in more detail.
Where to stay in Edinburgh, and when to come
Edinburgh is small enough to walk, but each part of it feels different. The Old Town puts you among closes and wynds, a few steps from the Royal Mile. The New Town has wide Georgian streets and a quieter evening. Stockbridge and Canonmills feel like a village inside the city. Leith has the shore and some of the best places to eat. Portobello has the beach, and North Berwick is about 35 minutes away by train.
Our guide to where to stay in Edinburgh goes through each area honestly, including the hills and the noise. For the journey itself, getting to and around Edinburgh covers arriving and getting about.
Picking your season
August is the Fringe, and the city fills up. Hogmanay brings a different kind of crowd. Spring and autumn are calmer and often the nicest time to walk about. The best time to visit Edinburgh sets out the year month by month, and there are separate guides for the Fringe and Hogmanay.
Some trips have a reason behind them. We have pages for graduation stays, rugby weekends near Murrayfield, visiting professionals and golf in East Lothian.
And because this is Edinburgh, plan for weather. Edinburgh on a rainy day, Edinburgh with kids, food and drink and day trips from the city will fill any gaps.
Short lets on a tenement stair: being a good guest
Many Edinburgh short lets are flats on a shared stair. Your neighbours for the week are people who live there all year, who get up for work and put the bins out on a Thursday. A good stay respects that, and most guests do without being asked.
Our house rules are simple and the same across our homes:
- Quiet hours from 10pm.
- No parties, and no more guests than the booking allows. The limit is set by the home's licence.
- Keep the stair clear, and leave rubbish where the house guide says.
Our homes have noise sensors. They measure sound levels only and never record anything. If a level stays high, we get in touch with you before a neighbour has to. Usually a quick message sorts it.
Why it matters to us
Short lets only work in this city if the people around them are treated well. Every licensed host in Edinburgh writes to the households in the building with a contact number, and we do that for every home we look after. If you live near one of our homes, the neighbours' page explains how to reach us. You can read more about how we work on our about page, and the guest guide has the full house rules.
Letting your home as a short-term let in Edinburgh: the rules first
If you own a home here, the first question isn't what it could earn. It's whether you can let it, and under which licence.
- A licence for every short let. Since 1 October 2023, every short-term let in Scotland needs a licence from the council. Our licensing guide explains it in plain words.
- Planning, if it isn't your home. All of Edinburgh has been a short-term let control area since 5 September 2022. Letting a flat you don't live in usually needs planning permission first. See secondary letting and planning.
- Letting your own home. If it's your main home and you let it while you're away, a home letting licence is usually the route, with no planning needed.
- Safety and paperwork. Gas safety, electrical checks, fire safety and more. The licence requirements page lists them.
- The Visitor Levy. 5% on the first five nights in the City of Edinburgh, collected from guests and paid to the council. Not in East Lothian. See the Visitor Levy for hosts.
There's also the question of council tax or business rates, which turns on the 140/70 rule: business rates apply if the home was available to let for at least 140 days in the year and actually let for at least 70. And if the licence and planning sound like a lot, licence costs sets out the council's fees and what we charge to help.
Your free plan tells you which of these apply to your home before you spend anything.
Short-let management costs, and which route suits you
Our full management fee is from 15% + VAT of net booking revenue for one to four homes, 13.5% for five to nine and 12% for ten to nineteen. Twenty homes or more is tailored. New owners who sign a one-year agreement by 31 December 2026 pay 10% + VAT for their first four months, on every tier.
Net booking revenue is what guests paid after platform fees, cleaning and the Visitor Levy are taken off. With VAT added, 15% + VAT works out at 18% of that figure. We'd rather you knew that now. There's also a one-off onboarding fee: £400, £500 or £600 + VAT depending on the size of the home. The pricing page has every number and a calculator, and the earnings calculator gives you a typical year for your area and size.
Three owners, three starting points
- You host it yourself and it's taking your evenings. See hosting it yourself, or get a free listing review first.
- You have a manager but the numbers don't add up. Switching manager explains the handover.
- You're away for work and the home is empty. Letting while abroad covers it.
Not ready to talk yet? Our free guides are a good place to read up in your own time. When you are, see what your home could earn with a free plan, or book a 15-minute call. Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Book a 15-minute call with one of the co-founders, or get a free plan for your home: what it could earn, the licence route and every cost.
