Plans to introduce new Short Term Let Control Areas across Inverness and large parts of the rural Highlands will face a crucial decision when councillors meet on Monday 28 September.
Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee will consider the results of a public consultation before deciding whether the two proposed control areas should be submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval.
Council officers are recommending that councillors agree to progress both the Inverness City and Highland Rural proposals to ministers.
If eventually introduced, the controls would mean planning permission would always be required when a residential home is changed into a new secondary short term let, where the owner does not normally live in the property.
They would not amount to a ban on short term lets and would not automatically prevent properties from being used as visitor accommodation.
The proposals are part of Highland Council’s wider response to housing pressures in communities where substantial numbers of residential properties are being used for short term accommodation.
The proposed Inverness City area would cover Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness Side and Inverness Millburn, together with parts of Inverness South including Westhill, Milton of Leys and Slackbuie.
The much larger Highland Rural area would include Lochaber, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Sutherland, Skye and Raasay, Aird and Loch Ness, together with parts of Inverness South including Tomatin and Daviot.
Council figures published when the consultation opened showed short term lets accounting for more than 20% of homes in some communities, including parts of Inverness, Portree, Dornoch and Fort William.
The council has previously stressed that short term lets are not the sole cause of Highland’s housing pressures, while arguing that the conversion of residential homes into visitor accommodation is one contributing factor in some communities.
The consultation, which ran from 12 May until 23 June, attracted views from residents, businesses, community organisations and short term let operators.
Responses revealed differing views about the proposals, with many residents supporting greater controls as a way of protecting housing and sustaining communities while many operators expressed concern about the potential consequences.
Local area committees covering Inverness, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Lochaber, Skye and Raasay and Sutherland have recommended progressing the relevant areas if councillors decide to seek ministerial approval.
Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said:
“Providing people with access to suitable and affordable housing remains one of the key challenges facing communities across Highland.
“It is widely recognised we need to address depopulation and improve the availability and affordability of permanent accommodation in the areas identified by councillors across Highland in the Area Committees.
“The committee will carefully consider the consultation findings, the views expressed by communities and businesses, the recommendations from local area committees, and the evidence presented in the report before making a decision on the next steps.”
Badenoch and Strathspey already has a Short Term Let Control Area, which came into effect in March 2024.
Monday’s meeting will not itself introduce the two new control areas because any proposed designation must first be approved by Scottish Ministers.
If ministers subsequently give their approval, a further report would return to the Economy and Infrastructure Committee setting out the outcome, next steps and proposed commencement date.
The special committee meeting begins at 9.30am on Monday and will be broadcast live through the Highland Council website.
