London's 90-Night Rule for Short Lets, Explained

If you've looked into Airbnb in London, you'll have heard of the "90-day rule". It's a planning rule that limits how often a whole home in Greater London can be let for short stays without planning permission.

Where the rule comes from

For decades, letting a London home for short stays was treated as a change of use that needed planning permission. Section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 relaxed this. It allows homes in Greater London to be used for short-term letting without planning permission, as long as two conditions are met.

The two conditions

1. No more than 90 nights a year. The total number of nights the property is let on short stays must not exceed 90 in a calendar year (1 January to 31 December). It's an aggregate figure across all guests, not 90 consecutive nights.
2. The council tax condition. The person providing the accommodation must be liable for council tax on the property for each night it's let.

A "short stay" here means a stay of less than 90 consecutive nights. Lettings of 90 nights or more aren't short-term lettings in this sense.

What happens if you go over

Exceeding the limit isn't a criminal offence in itself. The council can serve an enforcement notice requiring the short-let use to stop, and it's continuing in breach of that notice that can lead to prosecution. Major platforms such as Airbnb also apply their own 90-night cap to entire homes in Greater London.

How serviced accommodation fits in

Many London operators focus on longer stays of several weeks or months, for contractors, relocations and families. Planning each property's bookings and stay lengths carefully is how a responsible operator stays within the rules. If a property needs to be let for short stays all year round, planning permission is the route.

Other rules to check

• Your lease: many leasehold flats restrict short lets, regardless of planning rules.
• Your mortgage and insurance: lenders and insurers often need to agree to short-term or serviced use.
• Licensing: some layouts and occupancy levels can bring HMO licensing into play.

The bottom line

The 90-night rule doesn't stop London homes earning more than a long let. It just means short stays need to be planned and run properly. That's exactly what our serviced accommodation service is set up to do.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change, so check with your local council or a solicitor for your property.