1. The quick answer: when do you need planning permission?

There isn’t one UK-wide rule. Start with this practical filter:

You’re more likely to need permission if…

• The property is a whole-home holiday let most of the year (not just occasional).
• Guest turnover is high (frequent arrivals, cleaning visits, key-safes, deliveries).
• Neighbours are affected (noise, refuse issues, shared entrances, parking pressure).
• You’re in a flat / leasehold block with tighter controls (even if planning is fine, the lease may not be).
• You’re in an area with extra local controls (for example specific directions or planning policies).

You’re less likely to need permission if…

• It’s home sharing (you live there and rent a room) with limited impact.
• It’s occasional letting (e.g., a few weekends or when you’re away), and the place still functions as a normal home.

Key idea: councils tend to look at impact + intensity, not just the label “Airbnb”.

Before you spend time on compliance, check whether the numbers stack up.

2. What counts as a “short-term let” (and why wording matters)

In plain English, a short-term let is usually:

• a room or home rented for a night to a few weeks, where guests don’t treat it as their main home.

But “short-term let”, “holiday let”, and “serviced accommodation” can trigger different assumptions with councils and lenders.

2.1 Short-term let vs holiday let vs serviced accommodation

• Short-term let / holiday let: typically leisure stays, short durations.
• Serviced accommodation: often implies more hotel-like operation (regular cleaning, linen changes, higher turnover).
• Home sharing: you’re resident and renting part of your home.

Why it matters: the more “commercial” the operation looks, the more likely a council may consider it a material change of use (especially for whole-home lets).

3. London: the 90-night rule (and the Council Tax condition)

If your property is in Greater London, there are specific planning rules designed to allow occasional short-term letting while protecting housing supply.

3.1 What the rule is

Unless you have planning permission, London short-lets are generally restricted to 90 nights in a calendar year, and (crucially) someone must be liable for Council Tax at the property. Use London City Hall guidance on short term and holiday lets in London to sanity-check the details.

If you’re unsure how Council Tax interacts with short-lets, see our guide to Airbnb Council Tax in the UK.

3.2 What to do if you might exceed 90 nights

• Don’t guess. If you’re likely to go over 90 nights, speak to the local council’s planning team early.
• Keep records (booking calendar exports help) so you can prove nights if needed.
• Also check:
  • landlord/freeholder permission (leasehold flats are a common blocker),
  • mortgage and insurer approval.

For a clear breakdown of the limit, exemptions and what it means in practice, read our guide to London’s 90-day rule.

In London, the 90-night cap can change the maths more than you expect.

4. England (outside London): “material change of use” is the real test

Outside London, planning permission is not automatically required just because you short-let. The question is whether short-letting causes a material change of use of the dwelling.

4.1 What “material change of use” means (plain English)

A council is essentially asking: “Has this stopped functioning like a normal home and started functioning like visitor accommodation?”

Common indicators include:

• noticeable increase in visitor turnover,
• more noise/disturbance at certain times,
• parking/traffic pressure,
• refuse issues,
• complaints from neighbours or building management.

For the government’s wording and the London vs England split, see GOV.UK planning guidance on when permission is required.

4.2 A simple example

• Example A (lower risk): You rent your spare room, you’re home, guests are occasional, and nothing changes for neighbours.
• Example B (higher risk): A two-bed flat is used for back-to-back weekend stays with frequent guest changeovers and regular complaints about noise or shared hallways.

Same “Airbnb” label — very different planning risk.

Because guidance and enforcement can shift by area, it’s worth keeping an eye on our nationwide short-term rentals legislation update in England.

If you’re considering frequent whole-home stays, sanity-check the upside and workload.

5. Wales: different use classes can change the analysis

Wales has planning use classes that explicitly refer to:

• C5 (homes not used as a sole/main residence), and
• C6 (short term lets: commercial short-term letting, not longer than 31 days per stay).

See Welsh Government planning permission use classes (change of use) guidance for the definitions.

5.1 What this means in practice

• Your risk isn’t just “planning permission or not” — it can be about whether you’re switching between use classes, and whether local policies restrict it.
• Some areas may apply additional controls, so always check your local planning authority’s position.

6. Scotland: don’t confuse planning permission with licensing

In Scotland, planning questions can still arise — but many hosts get caught out by licensing rather than planning.

Before taking bookings, check mygov.scot guidance on getting a short-term let licence and whether your council has extra control areas or requirements.

If you host in Scotland, our explainer on short-term let licensing in Scotland will help you separate licensing requirements from planning questions.

7. Northern Ireland: council guidance matters (and Tourism NI is separate)

In Northern Ireland, councils may treat short-term holiday lets as needing planning permission depending on how the use affects the area.

A good starting point is Belfast City Council guidance on short-term holiday lets, which explains that permission may be required depending on impact, and that you may be able to apply for a legally binding council decision via a certificate route.

Also note: Tourism NI certification is a separate requirement for tourist accommodation providers, regardless of planning status (check the NI guidance relevant to your area).

8. A practical “before you host” checklist (reduces 80% of problems)

Use this before you spend money on furnishing or marketing.

8.1 Property permission checks (non-planning, but critical)

• Leasehold / freeholder: many leases restrict short-term letting.
• Landlord permission: if you rent the property.
• Mortgage lender: some lenders prohibit or limit short-term letting.
• Insurance: you may need specialist cover for guest stays.

Before your first booking, make sure you understand the holiday let fire regulations in the UK and what ‘reasonable precautions’ look like in practice.

8.2 Planning checks (the council side)

• Are you in Greater London (90-night rule)?
• Are there local planning policies or restrictions affecting visitor accommodation?
• If you’re unsure, ask the council about:
  • pre-application guidance, or
  • applying for a lawful certificate route where available (see GOV.UK guidance on lawful development certificates).

8.3 Keep basic evidence

If questions arise later, you want clean records:

• booking calendar exports,
• proof of main residence (if relevant),
• Council Tax documentation (London),
• correspondence with council/planning.

Ready to move from research to a real plan for your property?

9. Common mistakes we see (and how to avoid them)

• Assuming the 90-night rule applies everywhere (it doesn’t — London is the special case).
• Ignoring leasehold rules (planning might be fine, but the lease blocks you).
• Treating “tax benefits” as guaranteed (tax treatment depends on facts and has changed in recent years — always speak to an accountant). You can reference UK Government policy paper on abolishing the Furnished Holiday Lettings rules for the direction of travel.
• Waiting for a complaint before checking compliance — councils often act after neighbour pressure.

10. FAQs

Do you need planning permission for Airbnb in the UK?

Sometimes. In London, the 90-night rule is central. Elsewhere, it’s usually about whether it becomes a material change of use.

Is there a 90-day (90-night) rule outside London?

Not as a blanket planning rule in England — outside London, it’s generally a material change-of-use assessment.

How long is a “short-term let”?

Typically anything from one night to a few weeks where guests aren’t using the home as their main residence — but definitions vary across UK nations and schemes.