Short-Let Licence and Registration Numbers on Your Website

The short answer: Only Scotland currently requires a number in your adverts: the licence number, plus the EPC rating where one is needed, in “any listing or advert (whether electronic or otherwise)”. Wales gives each registered provider a registration number that can be used to show the accommodation is registered, but its guidance does not say it must be displayed. England has not published what its register will require. A booking website built with one place for these numbers handles all three. Checked 26 October 2026.

Part of our series on building a booking website guests trust.

Registration and licensing schemes are arriving across the UK, and each one produces a reference number. The question operators ask us is practical: where does that number have to go, and what does it mean for my own website? This page separates what the law says from what we recommend, nation by nation. For the wider rules, see our UK short-let registration guide.

What each nation requires, as of 26 October 2026

Nation	Is there a number?	Must it appear in listings or adverts?	Source
Scotland	Yes, a short-term let licence number	Yes. Every listing or advert, electronic or otherwise, must include the licence number and a valid EPC rating where an EPC is required	Licensing order, schedule 3, paragraph 14
Wales	Yes, a unique registration number from the Welsh Revenue Authority	Not stated. GOV.WALES says you can use the number to “show your accommodation is registered”	GOV.WALES overview
England	Not yet. The register is expected to begin in March 2027	Not published. The government’s delivery page says nothing about display	GOV.UK self-catering guidance; GOV.UK delivery page

Scotland: the number goes in every advert

Mandatory condition 14 of the Scottish licensing order is short and broad. The licence holder must ensure that any listing or advert for the let includes the licence number and, where the property needs an Energy Performance Certificate, a valid EPC rating. Every listing or advert must also be “consistent with the terms of the short-term let licence” (legislation.gov.uk).

The words “whether electronic or otherwise” cover more than OTA listings. We treat each property page on an operator’s own website, printed brochures and social posts that advertise a specific property as adverts, and put the number on all of them. That is our practice, not a legal ruling; your council can tell you how it reads the condition. The consistency rule matters as much: the guest numbers and property type on your site should match the licence. Our Scotland licence guide covers the rest of the scheme.

Wales: a number, and a public register anyone can search

Once you register with the Welsh Revenue Authority, you get a unique registration number. The public register shows that number alongside your provider name, trading or advertising name and business address, and for each property its name, address, type, capacity and when it is open for bookings. Anyone can search it.

So although the guidance does not require you to display the number, a guest or corporate booker can check it. Showing it on your property pages, with a link to the official register, lets them confirm it in one click. That is a choice, not a rule. The deadline to register is 31 March 2027, and our Wales registration guide has the details and penalties.

England: wait for the rules, but leave room

GOV.UK’s self-catering guidance, updated on 2 October 2026, says the national registration scheme “is expected to begin in March 2027”. The government’s delivery page has not changed since 19 February 2024 and does not mention displaying a number, a fee or penalties. We have not found any official statement on whether a registration number must appear in listings or on websites. Our England register tracker records each statement as it is made.

We are not going to guess. What we can say is that if England does require a number in listings, an operator whose website stores it in one place will update every page in minutes, and one whose number is typed into page copy will be hunting through every page.

How to set up your own booking site for it

These are our recommendations from building direct-booking sites, not legal requirements.

1. Store the number once per property. Give each property a field for its licence or registration number, the issuing body and, in Scotland, the EPC rating. Every page that shows it should read from that field.
2. Show it on the property page, near the booking button. That is where a guest decides. A short compliance line, such as “Licence number: [number], issued by [council]”, is enough.
3. Link to the official register where there is one. A link lets a booker check for themselves, which is more convincing than a badge.
4. Keep it consistent with your listings. The same number, guest count and property type should appear on your site and on every OTA listing.
5. Add it to booking confirmations. Corporate and relocation bookers often need compliance details for their records. Putting the number in the confirmation email saves a request.
6. Diarise renewals and updates. A Scottish licence usually lasts 3 years (mygov.scot). Welsh registrations must be updated within 30 days of a change. An out-of-date number on your site is worse than none.

If your current site cannot show a number like this without a developer, that is worth fixing before England’s rules land. Our direct booking website guide covers how property pages should be structured.

Sources

All checked on 26 October 2026.

• The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, schedule 3, paragraph 14, legislation.gov.uk
• Getting a short-term let licence, mygov.scot, updated 9 October 2025
• Registering visitor accommodation: overview, GOV.WALES, updated 8 October 2026
• Viewing visitor accommodation details on the public register, GOV.WALES, published 1 October 2026
• Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations, GOV.UK, updated 2 October 2026
• Delivering a registration scheme for short-term lets, GOV.UK, published 19 February 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to show my short-let licence number on my website?

In Scotland, the licensing order requires the licence number in any listing or advert, electronic or otherwise, so we put it on every property page. Wales does not say the registration number must be displayed. England has not published its rules.

Will England require a registration number on Airbnb listings?

It has not said. GOV.UK expects the national register to begin in March 2027, and no official source we checked says what a registered let must display.

What else must a Scottish listing show?

A valid Energy Performance Certificate rating, where the property needs an EPC. The listing must also be consistent with the terms of the licence.

Can guests check whether a Welsh property is registered?

Yes. The Welsh Revenue Authority’s public register shows the registration number, provider and trading names, and property details such as type and capacity. Anyone can search it.

---

This page is general information for operators, not legal advice. Check the linked sources before acting on anything here.