No Short-Term Let Control Areas for Moray
Moray Council has agreed not to introduce Short-Term Let Control Areas across the region at this time, following a detailed review of local evidence.
A report presented to councillors on 30 June 2026 looked at whether special planning controls were needed to manage short-term lets, such as holiday rentals. After considering the findings, councillors agreed with the officer recommendation to not move forward with designating any control areas.
The review found that while there are some localised concentrations of short-term lets in places like Cullen, Findhorn and Lossiemouth, overall numbers remain relatively small compared to the total housing stock.
To date, 753 short-term let licences have been issued across Moray and there was no clear evidence that short-term lets are reducing the availability of housing for local people or pushing up house prices. The report also found no sign of negative impacts on local services, community life or neighbourhood amenity, such as increased complaints or loss of facilities.
Councillors also noted that short-term lets play a positive role in supporting tourism and the local economy, particularly in coastal and rural communities.
Council Leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “After carefully reviewing the information, we’ve taken a balanced decision not to introduce Short-Term Let Control Areas at this time.
“We know there are concerns in some communities, but the data shows that short-term lets are limited in number and mainly concentrated in a few areas. There is no strong evidence that they are causing widespread problems for housing or local services.
“Tourism is vital to Moray, and short-term lets are part of that success story. We will continue to keep this under review and take action if the situation changes in future.”
The council will continue to monitor short-term let activity and can revisit the option of control areas if circumstances change.