Latest / STR Unpacked / The UK’s first tourist tax is officially coming.
Transcript
- Ben: Morning and welcome to your short-term rental bulletin. The UK is about to introduce its first tourist tax and short-term rental operators should pay attention. In Edinburgh, the city has just confirmed a 5 % visitor levy starting on the 20th of July 2026. The tax will apply to hotels, B &Bs and short-term rentals including listings on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Guests will pay 5 % of the nightly accommodation costs capped at seven consecutive nights. This will be the first tourist tax anywhere in the UK, enabled by new powers granted to Scottish councils and expected to rise tens of millions of pounds annually for tourism infrastructure. If the levy works in Edinburgh, other UK cities could follow quickly. Tourist taxes are now spreading across Europe and the UK is now joining the trend. Thank you for watching and I'll see you tomorrow.