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Landlord registration
All private owners and landlords renting residential property in Scotland are required to register with their local Council so we can make sure they keep good standards of practice. Information about registered landlords is available on the Scottish Government's National Landlord Registration web pages so members of the public can find out if their landlord is registered.
To be registered, owners and their agents must be fit and proper to let residential property. Local authorities must take account of any evidence that the person has:
- Committed any offence involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs, discrimination, firearms or sexual offences
- Practised unlawful discrimination in connection to any business
- Contravened any provision of the law relating to housing, or landlord and tenant law, and the person’s actions, or failure to act, in relation to any antisocial behaviour affecting a house they let or manage, and must take account of the fact and nature of any agency arrangement.
In addition to the information provided on the form, we will also look at other relevant information we hold about you.
We will make a balanced judgement on the basis of all the available information and there is no automatic refusal. If you rent property in more than one council area, the councils will share information to make sure each has all relevant details, but each council will make its own decision.
Applying to register
There are two ways for you to register:
- online by visiting the Scottish Government's National Landlord Registration web pages where a 10% discount applies
- by downloading to print our application forms on this page (Please note that no discounts are applied to paper applications)
Registration fees
The fee for registration is £55 plus £11 for each property you let.
Agent Fee
If you use an unregistered agent then you must pay an agent fee of £55 in order for your agent to be assessed as fit and proper.
Discounts
- A discount of 50% is available for applications made to multiple local authorities.
- Charities receive a 100% discount on both the principal and property fee.
- joint owners receive a 100% discount on both the principal and property fee.
- HMO Licence holders do not pay a fee in the local authority which they hold that licence and for any HMO property covered by that licence.
Do I need to need to register?
Only a few landlords do not need to register.
You will be exempt from registration if your property is:
- The only or main home of the landlord. (If there are more than two unrelated lodgers an HMO licence will be needed)
- Let to members of the landlord's family only. (In all cases please contact the Landlord Registration team to discuss your specific situation.)
- Used for Holiday Lets only.
- Owned, occupied or used by a religious organisation, leader or preacher.
- Tenanted by someone who has a liferent.
- Executors, Heritable Creditor or Insolvency Practitioners. (If you are in any of these groups contact the Landlord Registration team for advice as you may be entitled to exemption for a period of up to 6 months.
If you are unsure whether your property may be covered by an exemption, or you want to discuss the application further, just call the Landlord Registration Team on 01592 583397.
More detailed information about landlord registration across Scotland is available from www.betterentingscotland.com. This site provides information on the legal rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and advice on best practice.
Late fees
If we have to contact you twice to remind you to apply for registration, we may apply a late application fee. This means you will pay £110 on top of what you would have paid if you had applied promptly.
Please note that the landlord registration scheme is not the same as the HMO licensing scheme. You must apply separately to each scheme. For information regarding HMO licensing please visit our HMO information page.
For more information contact
Landlord Registration TeamTel: 01592 583397 Contact Landlord Registration Team online
By Post: Fife Council, Rothesay House, Rothesay Place, Glenrothes, KY7 5PQ
