Tag: self-caterers

ASSC calls for fair regulation to be an urgent election issue

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has written to senior policymakers across the political spectrum, urging them to recognise fair and proportionate regulation of self-catering as an urgent issue for the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election.

The letters set out how the current regulatory environment for self-catering is increasingly unstable and inconsistent, as lawful and compliant businesses face growing uncertainty with the looming threat of closure for many. What was intended to be a balanced framework is in reality creating serious risks for businesses and local economies, particularly in rural, island and remote areas where self-catering plays a vital year-round role.

The ASSC highlights mounting concerns around the way planning permission and short-term let licensing rules are being applied by some local councils, often in ways that go beyond the intent of national Scottish Government policy.

Despite assurances that these regimes would be decoupled, they are increasingly being reconnected in practice, with operators facing licence refusal, non-renewal or additional planning hurdles even where no material harm has been evidenced.

The correspondence emphasises that this cannot be seen as a marginal sector issue as self-catering provides an annual £1bn boost to the Scottish economy and supports more than 29,000 jobs.

Continued regulatory drift and overreach risks further eroding business confidence, stalling investment and placing communities which rely on tourism under unnecessary strain. If left unaddressed, this issue risks becoming a litigation problem in the next Scottish Parliament.

The ASSC has therefore asked parties to commit to, as part of their election platforms, practical and deliverable solutions. These include a clear and unequivocal decoupling of short-term let planning and licensing regimes, stronger national guidance with defined limits on local discretion, and a review of planning policies that are currently enabling unintended and inconsistent outcomes. These asks align directly with the ASSC Manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election.

The trade body has made clear that early political leadership can prevent further escalation and provide a much-needed reset with industry. They have also invited parties to engage directly with the sector to shape workable solutions early in the next Parliament. 

Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “Our sector is fully supportive of fair and proportionate regulation but what it cannot sustain is a system that is unclear, inconsistent and increasingly adversarial in nature.

“If Scotland’s £1bn self-catering sector is to continue playing its positive role in communities across Scotland, we sincerely hope that all parties take heed of the concerns being raised by responsible operators and commit to engaging constructively with us.

“By working together, we can secure the correct regulatory balance that benefits all stakeholders and fixes this issue once and for all.”

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

ASSC-2026-Election-ManifestoDownload

ASSC calls out lack of government and council guidance as Visitor Levy deadline looms

As the countdown begins to the introduction of Edinburgh’s visitor levy on 1 October 2025, the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) is expressing serious concerns over the lack of official guidance and support for accommodation providers.

Since the introduction of the short-term let licensing legislation, the ASSC worked tirelessly to support Scottish operators through the transition, offering practical, reliable information and hands-on assistance where government failed to engage.

In 2022, ASSC CEO Fiona Campbell MBE and licensing solicitor Joanna Millar launched a nationwide Regulations Roadshow to help demystify the legislation and empower operators to comply, delivering 26 such events and partnering with many local councils, reaching nearly 10,000 people.

The ASSC also developed a suite of comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions, now in Version 7, which was widely adopted by VisitScotland.

The ASSC had intended to replicate this model – achieved without meaningful support or funding from the Scottish Government – to help operators in advance of the Visitor Levy going live in Edinburgh.

However, with less than 10 weeks to go, this has proved impossible due to the complete absence of guidance from either the Scottish Government or Edinburgh Council.

The outstanding issues include:

  • No business-specific guidance – only deficient guidance intended for local authorities
  • No clarity on VAT status
  • No method of calculation
  • No confirmed exemptions framework
  • No timing confirmed for collection (e.g. at booking, on arrival, or departure)
  • No detail on how the Levy aligns with the Digital Markets Act
  • A delayed National Portal, not due until March 2026
  • No consumer-facing communications strategy.

This lack of preparedness raises serious questions about how the scheme can be implemented fairly, consistently, or without negative consequences for businesses. 

The ASSC is calling for immediate clarity from both the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council, and remains ready to support a pragmatic and effective rollout of the Visitor Levy – if and when the necessary tools are put in place.

Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the ASSC, said: “We were fully prepared to run another national roadshow to support our members and the wider accommodation sector through this significant change – but we simply cannot provide clarity where there is none.

“It is unacceptable that, with just weeks to go, businesses still have no official guidance on the most basic operational aspects of the Visitor Levy. Once again, industry is left to pick up the pieces. 

“We are committed to constructive engagement and practical solutions, but we cannot continue to operate in an information vacuum.

“Scotland’s accommodation providers and guests deserve better than this. The clock is ticking and the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council need to act now.”

This is NOT our crisis!

ASSC TAKES MESSAGE TO SCOTLAND’S POLITICIANS: STOP SCAPEGOATING SELF-CATERERS

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has launched a Scotland-wide campaign which strongly criticised the ongoing claims from certain sectors of national and local government that Scotland’s housing emergency has been caused by legitimate owners of self-catering properties.

The campaign, which highlights the issue of elected representatives and officials scapegoating the sector while, at the same time, a far greater number of available properties lie empty across Scotland, launched in Edinburgh this morning, with stops outside Edinburgh City Chambers, as well as Holyrood.

The campaign will continue this week with stops encompassing Glasgow, Helensburgh, Inverness, Perth and Glenrothes, as well as the two previous stops in Edinburgh.

Self-caterers have become an easy target for lazy attempts to scapegoat the sector, rather than deal with the real issues at hand; utilising empty properties and building more affordable housing. The Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers would rather deal in facts, which are: 

  • Self-catering = 0.8% of housing stock, Scotland wide, while empty properties = 3.6%
  • Self-catering contributes £864 million to the Scottish economy 
  • Self-catering supports 29,324 jobs 

It’s time to set the record straight. Let’s talk facts – not fiction.

It is clear that housing needs will not be met by penalising tourism microbusinesses. Instead, they will be met by building homes, tackling second homes, and taking an evidence-led approach.

Fiona Campbell MBE, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “Hard-pressed self-catering operators will be experiencing more than a little sense of déjà vu as their sector is once again scapegoated for a shortage of homes.

“Recycling the same tired calls for even stricter controls on short-term lets, despite no evidence it will ease housing pressures, is regulatory overkill. They risk hammering a £864m self-catering sector that underpins Scottish tourism. 

“Our message is clear: you won’t solve a housing crisis by initiating a crisis in Scottish tourism by decimating local businesses underpinning local economies. Attention must shift to the real causes of the housing crisis and stop scapegoating self-catering.”