London (90-Night Rule) Airbnb & STR Rules 2026 — Permits & Rules (Updated July)

At a Glance — London (90-Night Rule) Airbnb & STR Rules

Rule	Details
Regulatory Status	Restricted — rules apply
Permit / License Required	No (but planning permission required above 90 nights)
Tax Rate	Council tax or business rates depending on usage. No specific STR tax.
Night / Day Cap	90 nights/year for entire home (unhosted) without planning permission. Room-only (hosted) lets: no night cap.
Minimum Stay	No statutory minimum stay is set by the 90-night rule framework. The 90-night cap applies to entire-home listings used as 'temporary sleeping accommod
Permit Fee	0
Penalties	Fines of up to £20,000 for exceeding the 90-night annual cap without planning permission, enforceable by local councils via enforcement notices. Repea
Primary Residence Required	No
Occupancy Limit	Unknown — No statutory per-property occupancy limit (maximum number of guests) is set by the Deregulation Act 2015 or any Greater London-specific STR

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London (90-Night Rule) Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

London (90-Night Rule) Short-Term Rental Regulations Overview

Short-term rentals in London (90-Night Rule), England are allowed but subject to significant restrictions under local regulations as of 2026. Hosts operating on Airbnb, VRBO, or other vacation rental platforms must obtain proper licensing: No (but planning permission required above 90 nights). The associated permit fees are 0.

Tax Requirements for Airbnb Hosts in London (90-Night Rule)

Short-term rental operators in London (90-Night Rule) should be aware of these tax obligations: Council tax or business rates depending on usage. No specific STR tax..

Hosting Rules and Restrictions in London (90-Night Rule)

Key operational rules for vacation rental hosts in London (90-Night Rule) include: Primary residence requirement: No. Rental day cap: 90 nights/year for entire home (unhosted) without planning permission. Room-only (hosted) lets: no night cap.. Occupancy limit: Unknown — No statutory per-property occupancy limit (maximum number of guests) is set by the Deregulation Act 2015 or an. Minimum stay: No statutory minimum stay is set by the 90-night rule framework. The 90-night cap applies to entire-home listings used a.

Zoning and Location Requirements in London (90-Night Rule)

Zoning considerations for short-term rentals in London (90-Night Rule): The 90-night cap applies across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London under Section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 (amending Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973. Density rules: None — No density cap, quota per street or neighbourhood, or concentration limit on STR properties exists under current Greater London STR law. The Ma. Insurance: Not mandatorily required by the Deregulation Act 2015 or any current Greater London STR regulation. .

Penalties for Non-Compliance in London (90-Night Rule)

Hosts who fail to comply with London (90-Night Rule)'s short-term rental regulations may face enforcement action. Fines of up to £20,000 for exceeding the 90-night annual cap without planning permission, enforceable by local councils via enforcement notices. Repeat or wilful breaches can attract higher penalties..

Platform Obligations in London (90-Night Rule)

Platform obligations for services like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com operating in London (90-Night Rule): Currently in force: Airbnb automatically enforces the 90-night cap on its platform and blocks bookings once the limit is reached (voluntary self-enforcement since 2017). From January 2025, platforms o.

Full Regulatory Details

Regulatory Status

Restricted

License / Registration

No (but planning permission required above 90 nights)

Permit Fee

Primary Residence Rule

Night / Day Cap

90 nights/year for entire home (unhosted) without planning permission. Room-only (hosted) lets: no night cap.

Occupancy Limit

Unknown — No statutory per-property occupancy limit (maximum number of guests) is set by the Deregulation Act 2015 or any Greater London-specific STR regulation. Individual borough planning conditions, building regulations, or house-in-multiple-occupation (HMO) licensing may impose limits on specific properties.

Tax Rate

Council tax or business rates depending on usage. No specific STR tax.

Zoning Restrictions

The 90-night cap applies across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London under Section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 (amending Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973). Exceeding the cap without planning permission constitutes a breach of planning law. The government has proposed a new 'C5' use class for dedicated short-term lets in England, which would allow local authorities to require planning permission for STR conversion; as of June 2026, commencement of C5 is pending. Many leasehold properties (common in London) contain lease clauses prohibiting short-term subletting independently of planning rules.

Minimum Stay

No statutory minimum stay is set by the 90-night rule framework. The 90-night cap applies to entire-home listings used as 'temporary sleeping accommodation' (broadly, stays under 90 consecutive nights per year in aggregate). A single booking exceeding 90 consecutive nights is classified as a mid-term rental and falls outside the STR cap.

Density Rules

None — No density cap, quota per street or neighbourhood, or concentration limit on STR properties exists under current Greater London STR law. The Mayor of London and several inner-London boroughs have lobbied for a reduction of the cap from 90 to 30–60 nights (which would de facto reduce STR density), but no such reduction has been legislated.

Insurance Required

Not mandatorily required by the Deregulation Act 2015 or any current Greater London STR regulation. However, standard residential landlord insurance typically excludes short-term letting; hosts are strongly advised to obtain dedicated STR or holiday let insurance. The forthcoming national registration scheme is expected to require confirmation of insurance compliance as part of self-certification, but this has not yet been enacted. Platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) provide host liability protection programmes but these do not substitute for a proper insurance policy.

Platform Obligations

Currently in force: Airbnb automatically enforces the 90-night cap on its platform and blocks bookings once the limit is reached (voluntary self-enforcement since 2017). From January 2025, platforms operating in the UK must collect and report host identity and annual income data to HMRC under OECD DAC7/UK equivalent rules. Forthcoming: A mandatory national STR registration scheme (expected 2026, secondary legislation pending) will require platforms to verify registration numbers and delist unregistered properties. As of July 2026, the registration scheme's secondary legislation had not been enacted.

Compliance Notes

London-specific rule under the Deregulation Act 2015 (Section 44): entire home short-term lets are capped at 90 nights/year without planning permission. Applies to all 33 London boroughs. Exceeding 90 nights without planning permission is a breach of planning law. Several London boroughs have implemented Article 4 Directions in specific zones to further restrict or require permission for ANY level of STR. Airbnb and other platforms enforce the 90-night limit automatically for London listings. Hosted (room rental with owner present) lets are not subject to the 90-night cap.

Effective Date

2015-05-26

Key Notes

90-night annual cap for whole-property lets. Airbnb auto-blocks bookings at 90 nights. Planning permission required to exceed cap. Article 4 Directions in some boroughs go further.

Penalties

Fines of up to £20,000 for exceeding the 90-night annual cap without planning permission, enforceable by local councils via enforcement notices. Repeat or wilful breaches can attract higher penalties. A proposed national registration scheme would add civil penalties of up to £5,000 for non-registration; secondary legislation enacting this had not yet been passed as of July 2026.

Sources

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/20/section/44

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in London (90-Night Rule)?

Airbnb and short-term rentals are legal in London (90-Night Rule) but subject to restrictions. Hosts must comply with local permit requirements and zoning rules. London-specific rule under the Deregulation Act 2015 (Section 44): entire home short-term lets are capped at 90 nights/year without planning permission. Applies to all 33 London boroughs. Exceeding 90

Do you need a permit for Airbnb in London (90-Night Rule)?

Yes. London (90-Night Rule) requires the following for short-term rental operation: No (but planning permission required above 90 nights).

What taxes apply to short-term rentals in London (90-Night Rule)?

Short-term rental hosts in London (90-Night Rule) are subject to the following tax obligations: Council tax or business rates depending on usage. No specific STR tax..

What are the penalties for illegal Airbnb hosting in London (90-Night Rule)?

Hosts who operate without proper permits in London (90-Night Rule) may face enforcement. Fines of up to £20,000 for exceeding the 90-night annual cap without planning permission, enforceable by local councils via enforcement notices. Repeat or wilful breaches can attract higher penalties. A proposed national registration scheme would add.

What are the key STR compliance requirements in London (90-Night Rule)?

90-night annual cap for whole-property lets. Airbnb auto-blocks bookings at 90 nights. Planning permission required to exceed cap. Article 4 Directions in some boroughs go further.

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London (90-Night Rule)