Leith Central Community Council has agreed an updated policy on Short-Term Let (STL) planning applications at its meeting on 20 April 2026.

The policy sets out the circumstances in which LCCC will normally object to STL applications, based on issues regularly raised by residents in the area — including impacts on housing availability, safety, and residential amenity.

Key update: aparthotels

The policy has been updated to explicitly include aparthotels.

While often presented as a distinct type of accommodation, aparthotels can in practice function as short-stay visitor accommodation. As such, they can raise similar concerns to hotels and STLs, particularly in predominantly residential areas.

Under the updated policy, LCCC will object to aparthotel developments where they would:

• contribute to the loss of residential accommodation
• intensify visitor accommodation in residential areas
• have a cumulative impact on housing availability or neighbourhood character

Purpose of the policy

The policy provides a consistent framework for how LCCC responds to planning applications. It is grounded in:

• concerns raised by local residents
• national planning policy (NPF4)
• the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Plan

Full policy

You can read the full policy here: https://leithcentralcc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/lccc-stl-applications-policy.pdf

Ongoing review

The policy will be reviewed annually at LCCC’s AGM, alongside other Community Council policies.