Argyll and Bute consults on short-term let controls for islands

A proposed control area covering Mull, Iona, Coll, Tiree, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Lorn would require planning permission for new holiday lets.

Daily Alba · 2 October 2026 · 2 min read

Illustrative image of colourful harbour-front houses on a Hebridean island. Illustrative image, not a photograph of the reported event.

Argyll and Bute Council has opened a consultation on a proposed Short-Term Let Control Area covering Mull and Iona, Coll and Tiree, Islay, Jura and Colonsay, and Lorn and the Inner Isles.

What would change

Planning permission would always be needed to change a house or flat that is not someone’s main home into a short-term let. The council stresses this is not a ban and would not apply retrospectively to existing lets.

Housing pressure

The council says up to 42% of housing in parts of the area is unavailable as permanent homes, affecting affordability and employers’ ability to recruit.

Balancing tourism

Council leader Jim Lynch acknowledged the importance of self-catering to the tourism economy while saying housing pressure is affecting communities and services.

Source & attribution: This original report is based on Argyll & Bute 24, published 1 October 2026. This is not independent on-the-ground reporting.

Argyll and Bute consults on short-term let controls for islands

What would change

Housing pressure

Balancing tourism

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