Airbnb Rules London: Regulations, Laws & 90-Day Limit Explained

The London Airbnb Compliance Checklist

• ☐ Confirm the 90-Night Annual Cap Applies to Your Property

  • Verify your property qualifies as your primary residence under the Deregulation Act 2015, the 90-night short-term letting allowance applies only to entire homes used as a main residence.

  • If the property is not your primary residence, planning permission from the London Borough is required before any short-term letting begins.

• ☐ Check Your Borough's Planning Conditions

  • Some London Boroughs, including Tower Hamlets and Southwark, impose conditions that restrict or prohibit short-term letting even within the 90-night limit.

  • Contact the local planning authority directly to confirm whether any Article 4 Directions affect the property.

• ☐ Review Lease and Mortgage Terms

  • Leasehold agreements frequently contain clauses that prohibit subletting for periods under six months. A breach can trigger lease forfeiture proceedings.

  • Confirm with the mortgage lender that short-term letting does not violate the loan conditions, some residential mortgages explicitly prohibit it.

• ☐ Notify Building Insurers

  • Standard home insurance policies are void for damage or liability arising from paying guests. Hosts must obtain a policy that explicitly covers short-term rental activity.

• ☐ Install Required Fire Safety Equipment

  • Fit working smoke alarms on every floor of the property, as required under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which came into force on October 1, 2022.

  • Install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance.

• ☐ Obtain a Valid Gas Safety Certificate

  • Any property with gas appliances must hold a current Gas Safety Record issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Certificates expire annually.

• ☐ Complete an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

  • The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require a valid EICR for rental properties. The inspection must be carried out by a qualified person and renewed every five years.

• ☐ Track Nights Let Against the 90-Night Limit

  • Keep a running log of nights let each calendar year. Exceeding 90 nights without planning permission is a Deregulation Act 2015 breach and can result in enforcement action by the Borough.

1. Regulatory Overview

Short-term rental hosts in London face compliance obligations at three levels: national legislation, Greater London Authority (GLA) policy, and borough planning rules.

No single statute governs everything, and a gap at any level constitutes a legal exposure.

The legal landscape for short-term rental is built on three key acts. The Deregulation Act 2015, which kicked in on May 26, 2015, introduced the "London Provision" that most hosts know today.

This act didn't create a new right, it actually eased an older rule from the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, where Section 25 made almost any short let a 'change of use' requiring planning permission. So, the 2015 act was a partial thaw, not a green light.

Under the Deregulation Act 2015, a short-term rental in London is defined as letting a dwelling for a cumulative period of fewer than 90 nights per calendar year. Lettings exceeding this threshold require express planning permission from the relevant London borough, regardless of property type or ownership structure.

Enforcement sits with individual borough councils under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) administers the national registration scheme introduced under the 2023 Act.

2. Registration Requirements

London does not operate a single mandatory short-term rental registration scheme. No borough-level or city-wide registry requires hosts to obtain a licence number before listing a property on Airbnb or any other platform.

The absence of a formal registration framework is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Airbnb rules London hosts must handle, because the absence of a licence requirement does not mean the absence of legal obligations.

The 90-day Rule and the Planning Permission Threshold

The primary compliance mechanism is use-class law, not a registration database. Under the Deregulation Act 2015 effective May 26, 2015, Greater London properties may be let on a short-term basis for up to 90 nights per calendar year without requiring planning permission.

This threshold applies to entire-property lets only. Room-only lets in an owner-occupied home are not subject to the 90-night cap under the same provision.

• Entire-Property Lets: Hosts must not exceed 90 nights per calendar year without obtaining a Change of Use planning permission from their local London borough council.

• Owner-Occupied Room Lets: The 90-night cap does not apply where the host is present during the guest stay.

• Planning Permission Applications: Filed with the relevant London borough, not a central body. Fees and processing times vary by borough.

Proposed Mandatory Registration (short-term and Holiday Let Accommodation)

The UK Government's Short-Term and Holiday Let Accommodation (Requirement for Registration) Bill introduced in Parliament and subject to ongoing legislative passage as of May 2026, would create a mandatory national register.

No registration number requirement or fee structure has been confirmed into law. Hosts should monitor GOV.UK for commencement orders before any registration obligation takes effect.

3. Property and Building Eligibility

London does not operate a formal building classification system equivalent to New York's Class A/Class B multiple dwelling categories.

Property eligibility for short-term rental is governed by a combination of tenure type, planning use class, and private contractual restrictions, not a statutory prohibited buildings list maintained by a central authority.

Freehold and Leasehold Properties

Freehold owners face fewer structural barriers. Leasehold properties, which represent the majority of London flats, are a different matter.

Most residential leases contain a clause prohibiting subletting without the freeholder's written consent, and many explicitly ban short-term letting entirely. Hosts must review their lease before listing. A breach can trigger forfeiture proceedings regardless of whether the rental complies with the 90-night rule under the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, as amended by the Deregulation Act 2015.

Restrictions Imposed by Private Agreements

• Lease Clauses: Prohibitions on subletting or "use as a hotel" are enforceable by the freeholder or managing agent.

• Mortgage Conditions: Standard residential mortgages from lenders including Nationwide and Halifax prohibit short-term commercial letting without prior consent.

• Service Charge Liability: Some leases impose additional service charges or require buildings insurance riders when the unit is used for paid accommodation.

Planning Use Class Constraints

Properties designated under Use Class C3 (dwellinghouse) may require planning permission to change to Use Class C1 (hotels and hostels) if short-term letting becomes the primary use rather than incidental to residential occupation.

The London Borough in which the property sits determines enforcement thresholds. The 90-night annual cap is the statutory trigger, exceeding it without planning permission is a separate breach from any lease violation.

4. Airbnb Restrictions London Landlords Often Overlook

The 90-day Annual Cap

Under the Deregulation Act 2015, a London dwelling may be let on a short-term basis for no more than 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission.

The cap applies per property, not per host account. Nights are counted from January 1 to December 31 regardless of when lettings begin.

• Entire-property lets only: The 90-day limit applies to whole-unit rentals. Room-by-room lets where the host remains resident are not subject to the same statutory cap, though local planning conditions may still restrict them.

• No carry-over: Unused nights from one calendar year cannot roll into the next.

Note: The Renters' Rights Bill (introduced October 2023, progressing through Parliament as of May 2026) includes provisions that could require hosts to register lettings with their local authority.

If enacted, the 90-day threshold may become a hard enforcement trigger rather than a planning-permission gateway.

Guest Limits

No single statutory maximum guest count applies across Greater London. Occupancy limits are set by individual London boroughs through licensing conditions and, where applicable, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) regulations under the Housing Act 2004.

A property licensed as an HMO carries specific per-room occupancy figures that hosts must not exceed.

• HMO licence conditions: Occupancy numbers are stated on the licence document itself. Exceeding them is a criminal offence carrying fines up to £30,000.

Minimum Stay Thresholds

London imposes no statutory minimum stay for short-term lets. Some borough-level planning permissions attach minimum-night conditions to specific properties, so hosts should check their planning consent documents directly.

5. Tax Obligations for London Short-term Rental Hosts

London hosts operate under UK national tax law. There is no separate city-level tourism tax or municipal STR levy in London as of May 2026. All tax obligations flow from HMRC frameworks.

National Tax Framework

Total Combined Tax Rate: No fixed combined rate applies. Hosts pay income tax at their marginal rate on net rental profit, plus VAT only if the £90,000 turnover threshold is breached.

Platform Collection Requirements

Don't expect Airbnb to handle your UK income tax. That responsibility is entirely on you, and hosts must declare all rental income to HMRC via Self Assessment (form SA100, plus the SA105 pages for property).

It's a classic DIY tax situation. Remember that you may be able to use the government's £1,000 property income allowance to earn a portion of your income tax-free. While the platform does collect and remit VAT on its own service fees, it doesn't touch the VAT on the rental income itself.

6. Safety and Building Code Requirements

Mandatory Safety Equipment

• Smoke Alarms: Required on every floor, in every bedroom, and in hallways outside sleeping areas, per the London Fire Brigade guidance and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

• Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Mandatory in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance (boiler, gas fire, wood burner) under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, effective October 1, 2022.

• Fire Extinguisher: At minimum one accessible extinguisher per floor for properties accommodating guests.

• Emergency Escape Routes: Clearly marked, unobstructed exits required under the 2005 Fire Safety Order.

Building Compliance

• Gas Safety: Annual gas safety inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer; certificate must be current.

• Electrical Safety: Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) required every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

• Structural Condition: Property must meet the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) standards enforced by the local borough council.

7. Booking Platform Requirements

Verification Requirements

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 grants the Secretary of State power to require booking platforms to verify host registration numbers before listings go live.

As of May 28, 2026, the secondary legislation activating that obligation has not been commenced. Platforms currently operate without a statutory duty to check registration credentials against a government database.

Reporting Requirements

No enacted statute presently requires Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com to submit quarterly transaction reports to any London authority. The Greater London Authority has proposed data-sharing arrangements with platforms, but no binding reporting mandate is in force.

Hosts should not interpret the absence of platform-level enforcement as reducing their own compliance exposure. Registration obligations under the forthcoming short-term let register will fall on the host, not the platform, until commencement regulations specify otherwise.

London does not have a statute that makes it illegal to advertise a short-term rental before a booking transaction occurs. The Deregulation Act 2015 and the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 govern what hosts may do with a property, not whether they may list it.

Advertising restrictions that do apply, such as accurate pricing display and consumer protection requirements under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, are general commercial advertising rules, not STR-specific prohibitions.

No London borough has enacted a local bylaw criminalising the act of advertising a short-term let prior to any booking. Compliance obligations attach to the rental activity itself, not to the advertisement.

8. Enforcement and Penalties

Civil Penalties

London's short-term rental enforcement sits primarily with individual borough councils, the Greater London Authority (GLA), and, where platform data-sharing obligations are breached, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

Penalty levels vary by borough, but the following apply across Greater London under the Deregulation Act 2015 and the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973.

• Exceeding the 90-night annual limit without planning permission: Up to £20,000 per breach under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Section 179.

• Operating without required planning consent: Enforcement notice non-compliance carries an unlimited fine on conviction in a magistrates' court.

• Breach of short-term letting conditions attached to planning permission: Fixed penalty notices from £500 to £2,500 depending on borough.

• Failure to comply with a planning enforcement notice: Up to £2,500 on summary conviction; continuing breaches attract daily fines.

Enforcement Mechanisms

• Platform data requests: Councils issue formal data requests to Airbnb and Booking.com under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 to cross-reference nights booked against the 90-night threshold.

• Complaint-led investigations: Neighbour complaints trigger planning enforcement reviews; boroughs including Westminster and Tower Hamlets maintain dedicated STR complaint lines.

• Proactive monitoring: Several boroughs use third-party scraping tools (AirDNA data licensed to planning departments) to flag listings exceeding permitted nights.

• Site inspections: Physical inspections confirm unauthorised change of use from residential (Class C3) to short-term letting (sui generis use class).

Registration Denial and Revocation

London does not yet operate a mandatory registration scheme as of May 2026. The government's STR registration consultation closed in June 2023; enabling legislation under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 has not been commenced.

9. Special Considerations

Leasehold and Tenanted Properties

Most London residential properties are held on long leaseholds, and the superior lease almost always prohibits subletting without the freeholder's written consent.

Hosting without that consent breaches the lease, regardless of whether the host holds a valid short-term rental licence. The freeholder can seek forfeiture proceedings, which puts the entire leasehold interest at risk, not merely the STR income.

• Subletting clauses: Standard leases contain absolute or qualified prohibitions on subletting; a qualified clause requires consent, which can be withheld on reasonable grounds.

• Service charge disputes: Freeholders increasingly recover enforcement costs through service charge demands.

• Mortgage conditions: Buy-to-let mortgages typically bar short-term letting; breach triggers a right to demand immediate repayment.

Tenants operating short-term rentals face the additional exposure of Section 1 of the Subletting Act and standard assured shorthold tenancy clauses that prohibit any subletting. Unlawful subletting by a tenant constitutes grounds for possession under Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

A property licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation under the Housing Act 2004 cannot simultaneously operate as a short-term rental. ]

The HMO licence is use-specific; converting to STR use without surrendering the HMO licence and obtaining separate planning permission breaches both the licence conditions and the Use Classes Order 2020. (London boroughs including Newham and Tower Hamlets have active HMO enforcement teams that cross-reference Airbnb listings against their licensing registers.)

• Licence conditions: HMO licences name the licence holder and specify permitted occupation type; STR guests do not qualify as licensable occupants.

• Planning conflict: Operating as both an HMO and an STR simultaneously constitutes a material change of use without consent.

10. Exemptions

Not every short-term letting arrangement in London falls under the 90-day annual limit or the short-term rental licensing framework progressing through Parliament.

• Stays of 90 consecutive days or more: These are treated as standard residential tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 and sit outside short-term letting controls entirely.

• Licensed hotels and serviced apartments: Properties operating under a premises licence issued by a London borough are governed by separate hospitality legislation, not short-term letting rules.

• Bed and breakfasts: Owner-occupied primary residences where the owner is present may qualify for exemption under planning use class C1.

• Student accommodation: Purpose-built student housing operates under distinct planning permissions and is not subject to the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 90-day restriction.

• Commercial properties: Units with a lawful change of use to sui generis or C1 classification are not bound by the residential short-let cap.

11. Legislative Developments

Greater London Authority Act Revision Proposals (2025)

The Greater London Authority began consulting in 2025 on raising the existing 90-night annual cap, which has remained unchanged since the Deregulation Act 2015.

The proposed revision would grant individual London boroughs the power to set their own night limits below or above 90, replacing the current single citywide threshold.

• Borough-Level Caps: Each of the 32 boroughs could set limits as low as 30 nights per year for entire-home lettings.

• Registration Triggers: Any host exceeding a borough's local threshold without a use-class exemption would face mandatory planning permission under Class C1.

• Platform Reporting: Platforms would be required to share booking-night data with borough councils quarterly.

As of May 2026, no amending legislation has been enacted. The consultation closed in late 2025; the GLA has not published a formal response or introduced a bill.

13. Resources and Contact Information

Government Agencies

London Borough Councils (33 local authorities)

• Address: Varies by borough, find your local authority via GOV.UK council finder

• Website: Each borough maintains its own planning and licensing portal

Greater London Authority (GLA)

• Address: City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE

• Phone: 020 7983 4000

• Website: london.gov.uk

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)

• Address: 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

Filing Complaints

If you're breaking the 90-night annual limit, the complaint won't go to some big, central London office. It goes local. Enforcement against unlicensed short-term letting activity is handled entirely at the borough level.

Neighbours report violations directly to their borough’s planning enforcement team, often using an online portal to upload evidence like screenshots of a listing that's clearly available for more than 90 days. It's a neighbourhood watch for Airbnbs, basically.

Westminster City Council, which handles a disproportionate share of central London STR complaints, can be reached at 020 7641 6000.

Disclaimer

London's short-term rental regulations are a moving target, so don't treat this page as gospel. This is just guidance. It isn't legal advice. The rules are genuinely complex, and they keep changing as councils adapt their enforcement strategies. For instance, the specific implementation details for the national registration scheme under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 are still being finalized.

Seriously, talk to a pro. You should consult with qualified legal and tax professionals to ensure you're fully compliant, because it's your responsibility to stay informed of the current requirements.