In more detail
The basics are above. This section goes further: which events the council will consider, how to plan your six weeks, getting a lived-in flat ready, festival pricing, the stair, and the paperwork afterwards.
01Temporary exemption events in Edinburgh: what the council will consider
A temporary exemption isn't a general pass to let for any six weeks you choose. The City of Edinburgh Council's licensing policy says it will consider temporary exemptions for four kinds of period:
- The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Festival in August
- Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay festive period
- Major sporting events
- Major international events
That's the list. A busy weekend on its own, a wedding in the family or a quiet month you'd like to fill don't fall into it. The council decides whether your dates count, so ask before you plan around anything outside the Fringe or the festive period.
Where a temporary licence fits
A temporary licence is a separate thing: a short licence of up to six weeks, granted at the council's discretion. It carries the same safety conditions as a full licence. Some owners pair one with a full application, which is why we offer a temporary licence and home letting licence together.
If you want to let more often
If you'd like guests through more of the year, a full licence is the better route. For your own home that's usually a home letting licence. For a flat you don't live in, read about secondary letting and planning first, because all of Edinburgh is a short-term let control area. Our licensing hub sets out all four licence types side by side.
02Planning your six weeks across the calendar year
The council's policy allows one, two or three periods, adding up to no more than six weeks in a calendar year. It's a calendar year, not a rolling twelve months, so it resets on 1 January.
| Plan | Periods | Total |
|---|
| The whole Fringe | One period in August | Up to six weeks |
| Fringe plus a Murrayfield weekend | Four weeks in August, a long weekend in February or March | Under six weeks |
| Fringe, Hogmanay and the rugby | Three shorter periods | Six weeks at most |
Illustrations only. Each period still has to fall within an event the council accepts.
Hogmanay crosses the new year
A festive let from late December into early January sits across two calendar years. Ask the council how it counts those nights before you build the rest of your year around them.
Think about your own diary too
If the exemption is for the home you live in, six weeks away is a long time to find somewhere else to stay. Start from when you can actually be away. Our guide to accommodation near Murrayfield shows what rugby guests look for, and the Six Nations 2027 post for hosts has the fixtures.
03Applying for a temporary exemption: the order that works
Applications can go in up to six months before your first night. The council says it aims to decide a temporary exemption within three months of receiving it. Spring is its busiest time, so an application in February or March for August gives you room if questions come back.
- Pick your dates and check they fall within an event the council accepts.
- Ask your lender and insurer. Get consent to let and cover that includes short lets, in writing.
- Check the safety basics. Interlinked smoke and heat alarms, a carbon monoxide alarm where needed, a gas safety record if there's gas, and a written fire risk assessment. Our licence requirements page explains each one.
- Count your guests honestly. The fee depends on how many the home sleeps, and you can't exceed that number.
- Apply and pay. We prepare and submit with you, and pay the fee from the amount you send us.
- Wait for the decision before you confirm any guest.
Once it's granted
The exemption comes with conditions. They include displaying a copy of the exemption in the home, along with safety information, an emergency contact number and instructions for the carbon monoxide alarm. Edinburgh's own additional conditions apply to exemptions as well, so read the whole list. The Edinburgh licensing page covers the local rules in more depth, and our page on licence costs puts every fee in one place.
04Getting a lived-in flat ready for festival guests
Letting the home you live in is different from letting a flat set up for guests. The work is mostly about space and calm: making room for someone else's suitcase, and keeping your own things safe.
A practical list for the month before
- Clear one wardrobe and a set of drawers completely
- Lock away papers, jewellery, laptops and anything you'd hate to see damaged
- Empty the fridge and a kitchen cupboard for guests' food
- Check you have two full sets of bedding and towels for every bed
- Write down how the boiler, heating and shower work, with photos
- Test every smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarm
Guests who stay a while
Many Fringe guests are performers and crew here for the whole run. They want a good table to work at, blackout in the bedroom and a washing machine that's easy to use. Our page on Fringe accommodation for performers shows what they ask us for.
Instructions guests actually read
Old tenement flats have quirks: a stiff main door, a shared stair light on a timer, a buzzer that needs a second press. Put them in a short house guide. The Guest Message & House Manual Kit has templates, and Short-letting a tenement flat in Edinburgh covers the stair itself.
05Fringe pricing and minimum stays for temporary lets
August is the high point of the Edinburgh year. The real question is how to fill the weeks you've chosen without awkward gaps.
How we think about August nights
- Longer minimum stays in the busiest weeks, so the calendar isn't full of one-night gaps
- Weekly prices for performers and crew staying for the run
- Prices checked every night, so a late gap is filled rather than left empty
Where your home sits matters too. Nightly prices by neighbourhood are on our Airbnb management page, and the Old Town section covers the busiest streets during the festivals.
The Visitor Levy on festival stays
Stays in the City of Edinburgh from 24 July 2026 carry a 5% Visitor Levy on the accommodation price for the first five nights. A performer staying four weeks pays it on five nights only. The guest pays it and the host collects it and sends quarterly returns. Our Visitor Levy guide for hosts has the deadlines. In Musselburgh and North Berwick it doesn't apply, because they're in East Lothian.
The Fringe Host's Guide goes further into pricing and changeovers.
06Neighbours and the stair during festival lets
A temporary exemption is a short window, but neighbours notice every arrival with a suitcase. A calm August keeps the stair on your side, and that matters if you apply again next year or move to a full licence later.
Before the first guest
- Tell your neighbours your dates and how to reach whoever looks after the home
- Make sure bins and recycling are clear before each arrival
During the stay
For homes we manage, we set clear house rules with quiet hours from 10pm and no parties. We check guests' ID before an access code is sent, and fit a noise sensor that measures sound levels, never recordings. Guests can message us 9am to midnight every day, and there's an emergency line around the clock during a stay.
If a neighbour has a concern
Our page for neighbours explains who to contact and how. Out of hours, a neighbour with an urgent problem can WhatsApp +44 7898 116933, and the guest team, on until midnight, can contact the guests. If you host yourself, give neighbours your own number and answer it. Our self-hosting page covers what that takes in practice.
07After August: tax, council tax and records to keep
Income tax
Money from a festival let is taxable income. The rules for furnished holiday lets changed in April 2025, so older advice may be out of date. Short-let tax after April 2025 explains the change in plain words, and an accountant can confirm your position.
Council tax stays as it is
A home let for a few weeks a year stays on council tax. The business rates test needs far more availability and letting than an exemption allows. Our page on council tax or business rates sets out the 140 and 70 day rule.
What to keep
- The exemption and its conditions
- Safety certificates and your fire risk assessment
- Every booking, payout and refund
- Visitor Levy records, which have to be kept for five years
- Receipts for cleaning, linen and repairs
Thinking about next year
If August went well, you might wonder about a full licence. Compare the two honestly: a full licence takes longer and costs more, but opens up the rest of the year. Our fees page and earnings calculator help with the sums. When you're ready, let's talk about your property.
Rather talk it through?Book a 15-minute call with one of the co-founders, or get a free plan for your home: what it could earn, the licence route and every cost.
