In short: If you board other people's dogs in your own home as a business in Scotland, you need a licence from your local council under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963. Several councils, Edinburgh among them, say dog day care needs one too. Each council sets its own fee and conditions, so start with the council that covers your home.
Sources checked on 30 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
The law: the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963
The 1963 Act extends to England, Wales and Scotland. In England it has since been replaced for boarding by the 2018 licensing regulations, so English guides do not apply to you. In Scotland the 1963 Act still applies to boarding. Section 5 of the Act defines keeping a boarding establishment as carrying on, "at premises of any nature (including a private dwelling)", a business of providing accommodation for other people's animals. In the Act, "animal" means any dog or cat. So hosting dogs in your flat or house for payment counts.What each council says
These are the councils whose pages we read on 30 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with your council before you apply.| Council | What its page says |
|---|---|
| City of Edinburgh | "You need a licence to run a boarding kennel or cattery, if you provide home boarding or dog day care." Any application that needs a vet inspection is charged the full cost of that inspection on top of the fee. Applications are online only. Source |
| Midlothian | "Where overnight boarding of animals occurs in domestic premises, the establishment must be licensed in terms of The Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963." Source |
| East Lothian | Defines home boarding as the provision of care or accommodation for other people's pets in a private dwelling or commercial setting, and says "This includes day care." Source |
| Aberdeenshire | Animal home boarding licence: £296 new, plus a veterinary fee if required, and £231 to renew. Additional specific conditions may be attached to a licence. Source |
| Dundee City | A licence is needed for premises which board animals. The council publishes separate Home Dog Boarding Conditions and Commercial Day Boarding Conditions, and lists fees and renewal dates on its civic licensing page. Source |
| North Lanarkshire | If you run animal boarding premises for dogs or cats, or are thinking about starting one, "you may need an animal boarding licence". The council has a separate home boarding application. Source |
| South Lanarkshire | "You must have a licence if you run an animal boarding business, such as a cattery or kennels." Ask its environmental services team whether your home setup counts. Source |
Glasgow, Fife, Perth and Kinross and Aberdeen City
We could not read these councils' licensing pages when we checked, so we state nothing about their fees or conditions. Each one licenses boarding in its own area under the same 1963 Act. Contact its licensing team and ask for the conditions that apply to home boarding and to day care.Before you apply
- Ask about your home first. Councils set conditions on the premises, such as how many dogs you may keep at once. Dundee's home boarding conditions, for example, have a field for the maximum number of dogs on each licence.
- Get the paperwork ready. Edinburgh asks for your public liability insurance, a current risk assessment, a current staff training policy and the fee.
- Allow for an inspection. Some councils send a vet or an officer before they grant the licence, and some charge for it.
- Licence day care separately if needed. Several councils treat day care as its own activity with its own conditions.
Boarding on Petme in Scotland
On Petme you set your own nightly rate and keep up to 90% of every booking, with payouts within 2 business days of a completed stay. You must be 18 or over and pass ID and background checks, and every booking includes the Petme Protection Plan for eligible vet costs. Check your licence position before you switch boarding on in the app.
Hosts in Scotland can start from the boarding jobs page for their city: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Dundee. If you only want to walk dogs, read dog walking licences in Scotland instead.
