Glasgow City

Glasgow City Council established its STL licensing scheme. The city had an informal but significant policy concern around planning — creating friction between the licensing and planning departments from the outset.

After an informal but stark policy U-turn around planning concerns, Glasgow successfully issued a significant number of STL licences. The city initially took a hardline approach linking planning permission to licensing, then softened its position, allowing many operators to obtain licences.

All existing hosts required to submit applications by 1 October 2023. Glasgow received a large volume of applications, contributing to processing backlogs that would become a significant issue.

A growing number of applicants found themselves trapped in licensing limbo. Despite making and paying for competent applications, the council simply refused to make any determination. Under Section 3(4) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, applications not determined within 9 months are deemed granted for 1 year — but the council failed to acknowledge or confirm these deemed grants.

Cllr Alex Wilson, Chair of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, responded promptly to enquiries from STL Solutions but appeared unable to intervene directly to resolve 'processing matters'. The wider council maintained radio silence on repeated, valid demands from applicants and agents.

While the law provides for deemed grants after 9 months, affected operators faced practical problems: paying for a 3-year licence fee but receiving only a 1-year deemed licence, inability to confirm licensed status to platforms, and greater administrative burden for earlier renewals.

Glasgow maintained a general policy against granting planning permission for STLs in residential flats. However, individual cases demonstrated flexibility — the planning local review committee overrode policy where compelling reasons existed.

A diplomat won a planning appeal for a Shawlands flat, with councillors voting against the council's own anti-STL-in-residential-flats policy. The key argument: the flat would 'lie empty' while the owner worked abroad, and refusal would 'jeopardise their housing'. The flat had been let without complaints since 2019.

Outlander actress Catriona Balfe was reported to be in a planning battle with Glasgow City Council after being told she couldn't rent out her Glasgow property as an STL. The case highlighted the tension between the council's restrictive policy and individual circumstances.

Glasgow is considering introducing a visitor levy following Edinburgh's lead (5% from July 2026). Calls have been made for tourist tax revenue to be used for a Glasgow public bus company. A formal decision has not yet been taken.