Some great ideas for low-budget holidays (Stay for free and book it backwards: nine easy ways to have a cheaper holiday, 7 January). I have experienced some wonderful holidays house swapping, and strongly recommend it.
However, I live in Scotland, and sadly the new Scottish government short-term lets legislation identifies house swaps as potentially a type of short-term let.
This means anyone in Scotland wishing to swap homes for a holiday (even though this is not a commercial arrangement and no money changes hands) will need to register with their local authority, paying an annual fee and carrying out annual portable appliance testing, a risk assessment for legionnaires’ disease, and a fire safety risk assessment. For a one- or two-week holiday, supposedly about minimising costs, most potential house swappers are going to be put off.
I suspect that many people in Scotland are unaware of this new legislation, which will sadly greatly diminish the possibilities of home swapping here.
Rachel Davison
Edinburgh
