Short-let regulation changes periodically — this page reflects the position as understood in 2026. Always confirm current requirements with your local council before letting a property short-term.
The 90-Night Cap
In Greater London, letting an entire property on a short-term basis is currently capped at 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. This applies per property, per year, across all booking platforms combined — not per platform individually. Rooms let while the host is present are generally treated differently from whole-property lets.
Planning Permission Above 90 Nights
Once a property is let short-term for more than 90 nights in a calendar year, most London councils treat this as a change of use requiring planning permission, rather than ordinary residential letting. Approval isn’t automatic and requirements vary by borough.
Enforcement Varies by Borough
How actively this is enforced differs across London — central boroughs with high housing demand tend to apply more scrutiny, often triggered by resident complaints as much as proactive monitoring.
Changes on the Horizon
A mandatory national short-let registration scheme, and a proposed dedicated “C5” planning use class for short-term lets, have both been discussed by government but were not yet in force as of mid-2026. Landlords should keep an eye on official guidance rather than relying on any one article — including this one — as the current state of play can change.
What This Means in Practice
A managed service should be actively tracking a property’s night count and compliance position, not leaving that to the landlord to monitor manually. This is a standard part of how we manage every property at Ichiban Stays.
For more background, see the London Assembly’s coverage of short-term letting regulation: london.gov.uk. For your own property specifically, talk to our team about how we handle compliance.