Do You Need a Licence for Airbnb in the UK? 2026 Guide

Whether your Airbnb needs a licence depends entirely on where in the UK your property sits. England, Scotland, and Wales each have different rules — and they're all changing in 2026.

Here's a straightforward breakdown by nation, with links to the official application processes.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check with your local council for property-specific requirements.

Quick Answer: Do You Need a Licence?

Nation	Do you need a licence?	Status (May 2026)
Scotland	Yes — mandatory licence required	Live since 1 Jan 2025
England	Not yet — mandatory registration coming	Pending launch — date not confirmed
Wales	Registration scheme in development	Pending launch — date not confirmed
London	No licence, but 90-day cap applies	Already enforced
Wales (planning)	Dedicated Class C5 (≤183 days/yr) and Class C6 (commercial, ≤31 days/period) use classes	Live since 20 Oct 2022 (WSI 2022/994)
England (planning)	Proposed C5 use class still pending — currently governed by the 1987 Use Classes Order	Consulted 2023-2024; SI not yet laid (2026 at earliest)

Scotland: Yes, You Need a Licence

Since 1 January 2025, every short-term let in Scotland must hold a licence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022.

Operating without one is a criminal offence with fines up to £2,500.

Which licence type do you need?

Home sharing — you're present while guests stay (e.g., renting a spare room)
Home letting — you're absent while guests stay in your home
Secondary letting — the property isn't your main residence (this is most holiday lets)

How to apply

Contact your local council's licensing team — each council runs its own application process
Prepare your documents: fire risk assessment, gas safety certificate (if applicable), EPC, public liability insurance
Submit your application with the council's fee (varies by council — typically £300–£800 for a 3-year licence, depending on property size)
The council may inspect your property before granting the licence
Licences are valid for up to 3 years

Full guidance: mygov.scot — Short-term let licences. For the full step-by-step process, see our Scotland licensing guide.

Planning permission in control areas

Some Scottish councils have designated short-term let control areas where you also need planning permission. Edinburgh, Highland, Argyll & Bute, and several other councils have applied these. Check with your council — the Scottish Government's short-term lets page maintains the current list.

England: Registration Coming — Still Pending Launch

England doesn't currently require a licence for Airbnb hosting. The national registration scheme for short-term lets has been confirmed in policy but has not yet opened as of May 2026 — the original 2024 target slipped, then "Spring 2026" slipped, and the latest framing is "later in 2026" without a confirmed go-live date.

What's confirmed

All short-term lets in England must register on a government-run register
Each property receives a registration number that platforms must display
Platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo) cannot list unregistered properties
Registration requires proof of fire safety, gas safety, and insurance compliance
Penalties: up to £5,000 for operating without registration

What's still pending

The exact launch date (repeatedly slipped — treat any specific quarter framing as a target, not a date)
The fee structure and detailed application process

What's actually in force on the planning side

The planning framework hosts often hear about is more limited than the headlines suggest. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2024 (SI 2024/579) came into force on 21 May 2024 — but it's a GPDO amendment principally touching Classes Q, R, W, X (Part 3) and Classes A, B (Part 6). It does not introduce a C5 use class for short-term lets in England, despite that claim being widely repeated.

A dedicated C5 use class for England was consulted on in 2023-2024 but has not yet been laid as a statutory instrument. Government statements during 2025 pointed to 2026 at earliest for commencement. In the meantime, English short-term lets are governed by the existing Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 — typically treated as remaining within C3 for low-intensity letting from a main residence, or as a sui generis commercial use where the activity amounts to a material change of use. Councils in pressure areas use Article 4 Directions to remove permitted development rights and require planning permission.

Wales is further ahead: dedicated Class C5 (≤183 days/year) and Class C6 (commercial short-term letting, ≤31 days/period) use classes have been in force since 20 October 2022 under WSI 2022/994. See our building regulations for holiday lets guide for the planning detail.

Source: GOV.UK — Consultation on a registration scheme for short-term lets in England

What to do now

Don't wait for the scheme to launch. Gather your compliance documents:

Fire risk assessment (written, up to date)
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — within 12 months
EICR — within 5 years
EPC rated E or above
Public liability insurance
Specialist holiday let insurance

When registration opens, you'll need these ready.

London: The 90-Day Rule

If your property is in London, there's an additional restriction. Under Section 25 of the Deregulation Act 2015, you can let your property for a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission.

Exceeding 90 nights risks fines of up to £20,000 and an enforcement notice from your borough council. Most platforms now auto-block London listings at 90 nights.

To let beyond 90 nights, you need planning permission for a change of use — and most London boroughs refuse these applications.

Wales: Registration Scheme in Development

Wales is developing its own mandatory registration and licensing scheme under the Visitor Accommodation (Register) (Wales) Act 2023.

Key points:

All visitor accommodation providers will need to register with their local authority
A licensing scheme is being developed alongside the register
Wales uses a 182-day rule for business rates qualification — your property must be available for at least 252 days and actually let for at least 182 days per year to qualify for business rates instead of council tax

The registration scheme is expected to launch in 2026. Monitor gov.wales for updates.

Beyond Licensing: Other Legal Requirements

A licence or registration doesn't cover everything. Regardless of which nation you're in, you also need:

Fire safety — The Fire Safety Order 2005 and Fire Safety Act 2021 require interlinked smoke/heat alarms, fire risk assessments, emergency lighting, and fire doors on escape routes. Platforms increasingly require fire safety certification before listing.

Gas safety — Annual Gas Safety Certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer if your property has gas appliances.

Insurance — Standard home insurance doesn't cover short-term letting. You need specialist holiday let insurance and public liability cover. See our holiday let insurance requirements guide for what cover the platforms and lenders now expect.

Tax — The Furnished Holiday Let (FHL) tax regime was abolished in April 2025. Short-term let income is now taxed as standard rental income. Speak to an accountant about the impact on your tax position.

If you're unsure where to start once you have a licence, our how to get a short-term rental licence guide walks through the application process for England, Scotland, and Wales side-by-side.

For a complete overview of every regulation, see our short-term let regulations guide or our holiday let rules quick-read guide for the headline points only.

Sources

Legislation.gov.uk — Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022
mygov.scot — Short-term let licences
gov.scot — Short-term lets regulation information
GOV.UK — England registration scheme consultation
Legislation.gov.uk — Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2024 (SI 2024/579) — GPDO amendments in force 21 May 2024 (not a C5 use class)
Legislation.gov.uk — Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2022 (WSI 2022/994) — Wales Classes C5 and C6, in force 20 October 2022
Legislation.gov.uk — Deregulation Act 2015, Section 25
Legislation.gov.uk — Visitor Accommodation (Register) (Wales) Act 2023
Legislation.gov.uk — Fire Safety Act 2021