UK Short-Let Rules for Landlords: 90-Day Rule & Tips
If you own a UK property and you're weighing up Airbnb, a company let or guaranteed rent, this is the rulebook page: the 90-day rule in plain English, the Airbnb rules that genuinely apply to landlords (not the myths), and the letting tips we give every owner before their first booking.
Rules differ by nation, council and even building, so treat this as the map — then follow the city links at the bottom for the local picture where your property actually is.
The 90-day rule, explained properly
In Greater London, an entire home can be short-let for a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. The cap comes from the Deregulation Act 2015 and applies to whole-property stays; letting a spare room in your own home doesn't count toward it.
Three things landlords get wrong: the cap is per property, not per platform (Airbnb's counter only tracks Airbnb nights — Booking.com and direct bookings still count); the counter resets on 1 January, not on a rolling 12 months; and exceeding 90 nights without planning permission is a breach that councils can and do enforce, with fines reported up to £20,000.
The compliant model most London landlords use: 90 nights of high-rate short lets, then mid-term stays of 30+ nights (corporate, relocation and insurance guests) which sit outside the cap, or a guaranteed rent company let that removes the question entirely.
Outside Greater London there is no 90-night cap in England as of September 2026 — but Scotland requires a short-let licence, Northern Ireland requires certification, and a national short-let registration scheme for England has been legislated and is being phased in, so check the current position before your first booking.
The Airbnb rules that actually apply to UK landlords
Planning: outside London, most councils treat occasional short lets as within residential use, but material-change-of-use arguments are growing in tourist hotspots. London's 90-day cap is the only hard statutory limit in England, but several councils run Article 4 directions or licensing consultations — check yours.
Leasehold and mortgages: most long leases restrict subletting or short stays, and most buy-to-let mortgages prohibit short lets without consent. Get written consent from your freeholder and lender first — breaches here are the most common way landlords lose the property, not a council fine.
Safety: a gas safety certificate (annual CP12), an EICR electrical report, smoke alarms on every floor, a carbon-monoxide alarm in any room with a solid-fuel or gas appliance, and a fire risk assessment for common parts are all legal requirements, and Airbnb will delist you without them.
Tax: rental income is declarable to HMRC. The £1,000 property allowance, the £7,500 rent-a-room allowance (live-in hosts only) and the furnished holiday let regime's replacement rules from April 2025 all changed what you can deduct — take advice, and keep booking records for six years.
Insurance: standard home or landlord insurance almost never covers paying guests. You need specialist short-let or serviced-accommodation cover, and Airbnb's AirCover is a top-up, not a substitute.
15 letting tips that protect your income
1. Photograph the property professionally before anything else — it is the single highest-return spend in short lets. 2. Price dynamically; a flat nightly rate typically leaves 12–22% of revenue on the table. 3. Take a refundable security deposit on every booking, no exceptions. 4. Verify guest ID before check-in, especially for one-night weekend stays. 5. Write house rules that name quiet hours, maximum occupancy and no parties — and make guests acknowledge them at check-in. 6. Install a noise monitor; it catches problems before neighbours complain to the council. 7. Use keyless check-in with a code that changes per booking. 8. Keep a maintenance float of roughly one month's rent — boilers do not wait for payday. 9. Respond to guest messages within an hour; response time feeds the ranking algorithm. 10. Clean to hotel standard with fresh linen per stay; cleanliness is the top review driver. 11. Mix short stays with 30+ night mid-term lets to smooth seasonality and, in London, stay under the 90-night cap. 12. Block your own dates early — personal use booked late costs peak revenue. 13. Review your pricing weekly against comparable listings in your postcode. 14. Keep every safety certificate current and photographed — platforms and insurers both ask. 15. If the admin sounds like a second job, compare full management at a fixed percentage against guaranteed rent and pick the one that fits your risk appetite.
Short let, company let or guaranteed rent?
Short lets earn the most per night but carry the most work and regulatory attention. Company lets (renting to a business for its staff) sidestep the 90-day cap and most guest churn. Guaranteed rent hands the whole operation to an operator for a fixed monthly payment, typically 5%+ above local market AST rent, for up to five years.
There is no universally right answer — it depends on the property, the city and how involved you want to be. Our free valuation compares all three models on your actual address within 48 hours.
Local rules and rates where your property is
Everything above is the national picture. Demand, licensing consultations, Article 4 directions and realistic rents are all local — use the city links below for the area-by-area detail, including borough-level pages across London.
Frequently asked
Does the 90-day rule apply outside London?
No — the 90-night cap is a Greater London rule. The rest of England currently has no statutory night limit, though a national short-let registration scheme is being phased in and some councils are consulting on tighter controls. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing schemes.
Do mid-term stays count toward the 90 nights?
Stays of 30 nights or more are generally treated as longer lets rather than short stays and do not count toward the London cap. That is why most London landlords pair 90 nights of short lets with corporate or relocation stays for the rest of the year.
Can my freeholder or mortgage lender stop me doing Airbnb?
Yes, and this catches more landlords than any council rule. Most long leases restrict subletting and most buy-to-let mortgages prohibit short stays without consent. Get written consent from both before listing.
What safety certificates do I need before my first booking?
At minimum: an annual gas safety certificate, an EICR electrical report, smoke alarms on every floor, carbon-monoxide alarms where required and a fire risk assessment for any common parts. Keep photos of all of them.
Is guaranteed rent a way around the 90-day rule?
It removes the question rather than dodging it. Under a guaranteed rent company let, the operator takes responsibility for occupancy and compliance, and you receive a fixed rent regardless — which is why it suits London landlords who don't want to manage the cap themselves.
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See local rates, demand and the rules that apply where your property is.