Heard about OccuMax® pricing?
You can earn up to 30% more with our unique pricing strategy. Developed from managing over 350,000 bookings, it runs entirely within local regulations and has already earned our hosts over £112 Million.
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FIND OUT MOREYou can earn up to 30% more with our unique pricing strategy. Developed from managing over 350,000 bookings, it runs entirely within local regulations and has already earned our hosts over £112 Million.
Letting a dwelling to paying guests for short periods for holiday or temporary accommodation, rather than as a permanent residence.
Short-term lets are legal in Oxford, with no London-style 90-night allowance. Outside London, using a home for holiday or short stays can become a material change of use, decided case by case by the planning authority. Oxford actively enforces against loss of housing to short lets under its Local Plan policies and has recent appeal wins and legal actions. There is no tourist tax. Keep to the national small paying-guest fire safety guide. Declare income to HMRC. Properties that meet self-catering thresholds may move from council tax to business rates.
No single legal threshold. Treated case-by-case under planning (C3→C1 ‘material change of use’). London’s 90-night cap is unique to Greater London.
Short-term lets are legal in Oxford, with no London-style 90-night allowance. Outside London, using a home for holiday or short stays can become a material change of use, decided case by case by the planning authority. Oxford actively enforces against loss of housing to short lets under its Local Plan policies and has recent appeal wins and legal actions. There is no tourist tax. Keep to the national small paying-guest fire safety guide. Declare income to HMRC. Properties that meet self-catering thresholds may move from council tax to business rates.
Registration / Permit
No national or citywide short-let register at present. Planning permission is required where the use amounts to a material change of use. Oxford prioritises planning enforcement where residential dwellings are lost to holiday let use.
Max Nights
None citywide. The 90-night rule applies only in London.
Planning / Zoning
Typical minor planning applications in England are decided in around eight weeks, subject to validation, consultation and case complexity.
Safety & Insurance
Follow the government guide for small paying-guest accommodation: complete a fire risk assessment, fit and maintain suitable smoke and heat alarms, keep escape routes clear, provide guest instructions and keep maintenance records.
Tax
Income tax via HMRC. Business rates if available 140+ days & let 70+; else Council Tax. Rent-a-Room £7,500 (main home). Councils may charge up to 100% second-home premium from Apr 2025. FHL abolished 6 Apr 2025.
Income tax via HMRC. Business rates if available 140+ days & let 70+; else Council Tax. Rent-a-Room £7,500 (main home). Councils may charge up to 100% second-home premium from Apr 2025. FHL abolished 6 Apr 2025.
Follow the government guide for small paying-guest accommodation: complete a fire risk assessment, fit and maintain suitable smoke and heat alarms, keep escape routes clear, provide guest instructions and keep maintenance records.
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• Oxford has pursued enforcement against properties used as short lets where homes were lost to visitor use, including recent appeal decisions.
• Dwellings assessed for business rates as self-catering may indicate a material change of use that needs permission.
• Waste and servicing expectations differ for properties rated as businesses.
• Flats and HMOs may have additional constraints from leases, Article 4 directions or amenity considerations.
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⭐ Rated 4.8/5 by 2,500+ Hosts
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The government has announced plans for an England-wide short-let registration scheme and new planning controls. Monitor national updates and any Oxford policy changes as the Local Plan 2040 progresses.
No single legal threshold. Treated case-by-case under planning (C3→C1 ‘material change of use’). London’s 90-night cap is unique to Greater London.
⭐ Rated 4.8/5 by 2,500+ Hosts
This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm with
Oxford City Council (planning and enforcement); HMRC (tax); Fire and Rescue Service (fire safety).
your local authority.
