England Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental rules for 38 places in England, United Kingdom. Select a place below for its permit, tax and other rules, or see all of United Kingdom.

33 Active 5 Restricted

England at a glance

Places tracked
38 places: 33 active, 5 restricted
Licence or registration
Required in 0 of 38 local places
Tax on stays
Applies in 0 of 38 local places
Regional law
No regional short-term rental law on record; rules are set locally.

England short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in England?

In all 38 places we track in England, short-term rentals are allowed, 5 of them with permit conditions or limits.

Do I need a licence for a short-term rental in England?

0 of 38 local places we track in England require a licence, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Is there a regional short-term rental law in England?

We have no regional short-term rental law on record for England. Cities and towns set their own rules.

Which places in England have the strictest rules?

On our records: London, Westminster, Hackney, Camden, Wandsworth.

England Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in England encompasses 38 tracked jurisdictions: 33 with active regulations, 5 with restrictions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Tax obligations apply in 38 of 38 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include London, Westminster, Hackney. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors England STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Camden
Up to 90 nights a year if you pay council tax; more needs planning permission, which Camden is likely to refuse for whole homes; council tenants and leaseholders cannot short-let
Restricted
Hackney
Up to 90 nights a year without planning permission if a host pays council tax; more needs planning permission, judged against Local Plan policy LP25
Restricted
London
Up to 90 nights a year without planning permission, and a host must pay council tax on the property; more nights needs borough planning permission; national register for England expected in March 2027; no London tourist…
Restricted
Wandsworth
London rules apply: Wandsworth is part of London
Restricted
Westminster
Up to 90 nights a year without planning permission if you pay council tax on the home; more needs planning permission; council leaseholders cannot short-let; the council investigates reported breaches and noise
Restricted
Bath
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Birmingham
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Brighton & Hove
No local licence or cap today; the council has registered interest in piloting the national register and is reviewing short lets in its City Plan; second homes pay double council tax
Active
Bristol
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Cambridge
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Canterbury
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Chester
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Cornwall
No local short-let licence; second homes pay double council tax; some neighbourhood plans require new homes to be main residences; national register expected March 2027
Active
Cotswolds
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Devon
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Dorset
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
England
Distinct from London's 90-night cap and from the abolished FHL tax regime (ended 6 April 2025)
Active
Falmouth
No local short-let rules beyond national law and Cornwall's second-home premium; national register expected March 2027
Active
Isle of Wight
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Lake District National Park
New homes in the National Park must be principal residences; holiday lets in converted buildings only where not needed for local housing; existing homes without occupancy conditions can be let; second homes pay double…
Active
Leeds
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Liverpool
£2 Accommodation BID charge on larger hotels and serviced apartments since June 2025; a planned city-region levy would include short lets but is not yet law; second homes pay double council tax; no local short-let…
Active
Manchester
No local short-let licence or cap; the City Visitor Charge applies to larger hotels and serviced apartments only; second homes pay double council tax
Active
Newcastle upon Tyne
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Norfolk (Coastal)
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Norfolk Broads
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
North Yorkshire
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Nottingham
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Oxford
Oxford City Council treats whole-home short letting for more than 140 nights a year as needing planning permission and enforces on complaints; second homes pay double council tax; no local licence
Active
Peak District National Park
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Portsmouth
No local short-let rules beyond national law; second homes pay double council tax; national register expected March 2027
Active
Salcombe
New homes in Salcombe must be principal residences (Policy H3, upheld on appeal in June 2025); existing homes can be let; second homes pay double council tax
Active
Sheffield
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
St Ives
New homes in St Ives must be principal residences (Policy H2); existing homes can be let; second homes pay double council tax; holiday lets need a fire risk assessment
Active
Stratford-upon-Avon
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Suffolk (Coastal)
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
Whitby
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active
York
No local short-let licence or cap; national register expected March 2027
Active

LawfulStay.com: short-term rental rules for 5,118 places, each traced to its official source. Browse all 5,118 places →  ·  How we research  ·  For governments  ·  Press  ·  Trust badge

Translations are for convenience; the official source text governs.

Region names: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0.