London 90-Night Rule for Short Lets, Explained

The short answer: In Greater London, letting a home as short-term accommodation is a change of use that needs planning permission, unless two conditions are met: the total nights let in the calendar year do not exceed 90, and the person providing the accommodation is liable for council tax on it. The rule is in section 25A of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, added by the Deregulation Act 2015. Councils can switch it off for particular properties or areas. Checked against legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026.

Part of our guide to marketing a short-let business in the UK.

London has had its own short-let rule since 2015, and it is separate from the national register England is introducing. If you run serviced apartments in London, or are thinking of converting a flat there, this page explains what the law says and what it does not, with the source for each point. For the national picture, see our England short-let register tracker.

What the law says

Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 treats using residential premises in London as “temporary sleeping accommodation” as a material change of use, which needs planning permission. In 2015, section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 added an exception, section 25A, in force from 26 May 2015.

Under section 25A, short-term use of residential premises in Greater London is not a material change of use if both conditions are met:

1. The 90-night cap. The nights of use as temporary sleeping accommodation, added to any earlier nights of such use of the same premises in the same calendar year, “does not exceed ninety”.
2. The council tax condition. For each night counted, the person providing the accommodation was liable to pay council tax on the premises. If more than one person provided it, at least one of them must have been liable.

If either condition fails, the exception does not apply and the planning question goes back to your local planning authority.

How the nights are counted

Three details in the wording matter in practice.

• Calendar year, not a rolling 12 months. The count resets on 1 January. A property let for 90 nights from October to December and another 90 from January can meet the cap in both years.
• Every booking counts, whoever took it. Section 25A says it does not matter whether the earlier use “was by the same person”. If you take over a flat that was let for 60 nights earlier in the year, you have 30 left.
• Every channel counts. The law counts nights of use, not nights booked through one platform. Nights booked on your own website, through an agent and on each OTA all go in the same total. Keep one record across every channel. That is our advice; the law does not say how you must record it.

Why it rarely fits dedicated serviced apartments

The council tax condition is the one operators miss. When the government announced the change in May 2015, it said that to benefit, “the person providing the accommodation must be liable for council tax”, and that this was “thereby excluding business premises” (GOV.UK, 26 May 2015).

GOV.UK guidance for England says a property rated as a self-catering business “may need to pay business rates instead of council tax” (GOV.UK self-catering guidance). If no one providing the accommodation is liable for council tax on it, the second condition is not met, however few nights you let.

And 90 nights a year is not a business model for a unit run full time as serviced accommodation. For those, the real question is planning permission for a change of use, which your borough decides. Ask early, and before you sign a lease or buy.

Where the rule does not apply at all

Section 25B lets the local planning authority, with the Secretary of State’s consent, or the Secretary of State directly, direct that section 25A does not apply to particular premises or to premises in a particular area. A direction can only be given where it is considered “necessary to protect the amenity of the locality” (Deregulation Act 2015, section 44).

So the 90 nights are not guaranteed everywhere in London. Check with the borough’s planning department whether any direction covers your property.

How it fits with the England register

The London rule is about planning. The national register is a separate scheme. GOV.UK’s guidance for self-catering holiday homes, updated on 2 October 2026, says the government “is introducing a mandatory national registration scheme for short‑term lets in England. It is expected to begin in March 2027” (GOV.UK). London is in England, so London lets will be part of that scheme too. The fee, the threshold and what a registered let must display have not been published. Our England register tracker follows each official statement.

Two other points from the same guidance apply in London as anywhere in England: your local planning authority decides whether you need planning permission, and you should contact your council to confirm.

What to do now

1. For each London property, check who is liable for council tax or whether it is rated for business rates. That settles whether the exception can apply at all.
2. Keep one count of nights let per property per calendar year, across every channel.
3. Ask your borough whether a section 25B direction covers the property.
4. If the unit is run as dedicated serviced accommodation, talk to the borough about planning for a change of use rather than relying on the cap.
5. Get your property records ready for the national register, which GOV.UK expects to begin in March 2027.

Sources

All checked on 26 October 2026.

• Section 44, Deregulation Act 2015 (inserts sections 25A and 25B into the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973), legislation.gov.uk
• Boost for Londoners as red tape slashed on short term lets, GOV.UK, 26 May 2015
• Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations, GOV.UK, updated 2 October 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 90-day rule for Airbnb in London?

It is a planning rule, not an Airbnb rule. Under section 25A of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, letting a home in Greater London as short-term accommodation does not need planning permission if the total nights let in the calendar year do not exceed 90 and the person providing it is liable for council tax on the property.

Is the 90-night limit per calendar year or a rolling year?

Per calendar year. The count covers nights in the same calendar year, so it resets on 1 January.

Does the 90-night rule apply to serviced apartments in London?

Only where both conditions are met. If no one providing the accommodation is liable for council tax on it, for example because it is rated for business rates, the exception does not apply. The government said in 2015 that the council tax condition was there to exclude business premises.

Can a London council remove the 90-night allowance?

Yes. A local planning authority, with the Secretary of State’s consent, or the Secretary of State can direct that the exception does not apply to particular premises or areas, where it is necessary to protect local amenity.

Will London short lets need to join the England register?

The England register is a national scheme for short-term lets in England, which includes London. GOV.UK says it is expected to begin in March 2027. The details of who must register have not been published.

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This page is general information for operators, not legal or planning advice. Check the linked sources or ask your borough’s planning department before acting on anything here.