At Rettie, we have years of experience in the short-term letting market and are ideally placed to promote and manage your property.
We market properties proactively and are trusted by corporate and private guests. We are also well-known to production companies and performers taking part in the Edinburgh Festival. This means that we attract reliable tenants and will provide you with the best possible returns.
If you are interested in short letting your property, please get in touch and one of our lettings experts will be happy to discuss your individual circumstances and to provide expert guidance and support.
What do I need to do first?
Get in touch and let us know your requirements. A member of the Rettie team will meet you at your property to talk through our services. They will also give you feedback to help you prepare your property for a short-let rental.
Do you provide a free appraisal?
What scope of services do you offer?
We can let your property for a minimum of a month. We can also manage continuous bookings of several months in length.
Our service is adaptable:
- We can fully manage your short let for you, taking care of guests as they check in and providing 24-hour maintenance support.
- Or, if you wish to be more hands on, we can provide a booking-only service.
What is my property likely to rent for?
This is very much a case-by-case issue. We will provide a rental estimate in line with the location, size and condition of your property.
What should my property be like?
What should be provided in the kitchen?
Do I need to provide Wi-Fi?
What health and safety issues should I be aware of?
Do I need insurance?
What health and safety issues should I be aware of?
- As a landlord you are legally required to have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and landlord gas safety certificate (if there is a gas supply to the property).
- It is strongly recommended for landlords to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). As part of the EICR you must ensure that all the portable electrical appliances you supply have undergone Portable Appliance Testing.
- You must ensure the property has the number of smoke, fire and heat detectors required by law. All alarms and detectors should be interlinked and ceiling mounted. They should either be mains-operated or powered by tamper-proof long-life lithium batteries.
- You must ensure that Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector[s] are fitted in each room where there is a gas appliance.
- You must carry out risk assessments for Legionnaire’s disease and implement any necessary risk-reduction measures.
Do I require a license?
If you operate short-term let accommodation in Edinburgh you now need a licence. There are three types of licences available:
- Home Sharing & Home Letting – for letting your own home/part of your home.
- Secondary Letting – for letting a second home or investment property.
- Temporary License – for letting a property for a six-week period within the year.
If you are a new short-term let host or operator, you therefore need to submit a license application. You must wait until the license has been issued before you start operating.
If your property is a second home or investment property you are also required to apply for planning permission to operate your short-term let.
We will be happy to give you advice on these matters.
Do I need to provide an inventory?
It is your responsibility as owner to provide a clear, up-to-date and full inventory of your property. You will also need to check off the contents of your property against the inventory at the end of each let.
To help, we can instruct a specialist inventory company to produce an initial inventory.
How does payment work?
When do I get paid?
Read What Our
Customers Say
Symonds Taylor Made Our Move with a New Baby Stress-Free
You’ve made a stressful period in our lives so much easier. Having a baby and moving at the same time would not have been possible for us without you both and would have likely ended up in murder or divorce!
G Malhotra
Symonds Taylor Helped Us Secure Our First Home
Sofia and I cannot thank you and your team enough for all the work you put in to help us get our first home!
Courteous Team and Fair Pricing Made for a Positive Buying Experience
As a buyer of a property through Symonds Taylor (Rettie at the time) the team were courteous and easy to deal with. They had a reputation for fair pricing, which is how my purchase played out. All in all good experience.
A Houghton
Rob and Claire’s Expertise Secured Our Dream Home Amidst an 8-House Chain
Rob and Claire were excellent throughout our purchase, they helped us secure our dream house in Newcastle. Rob was instrumental in ensuring an 8-house chain successfully completed!
J O
Exceptional Service from Rob and Team Ensured Our Complex Move Succeeded
This is the second time we’ve sold with Rob and the team at Symonds Taylor (as formerly Rettie). We’ve always received a flawless service and felt at ease that we were in safe and experienced hands. Rob was quick at responding to all of our questions and was always available to reassure and guide us. Our recent move was unexpectedly complicated and without Robs proactive approach to keeping all parties up to date and moving things along I’m sure it would have fallen apart.
J Bradfield
You need an experienced team on your side
Thoroughly professional people. Sound advice provided with cool-headedness and patience during the protracted process of getting the buyer to perform
Mr Reed