Key points
- England’s national register for short lets is being built. The Culture Secretary told Parliament in September 2026 it will be up and running in full by March 2027.
- The fee and exactly what owners must provide have not been confirmed.
- In Wales, registration with the Welsh Revenue Authority opens in October 2026 and is required by 31 March 2027. It is free.
- Cardiff will charge a visitor levy of £1.30 per person per night from 1 April 2027.
- In London, a whole home can be let for short stays for up to 90 nights a year without planning permission.
In this guide
England’s national register
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 gave the government the power to create a register of short-term lets in England. In February 2024 it confirmed the scheme would be mandatory and national, run mainly online, and designed to be light touch, low cost and simple to use.
The launch date has moved more than once. Ministers first aimed for April 2026, and in February 2026 spoke of a launch later in 2026. On 3 September 2026 the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, told the House of Commons that “the register will be up and running in full by March”, which has been reported as March 2027. That is a ministerial commitment rather than a date set in law, and the regulations still have to be made.
Confirmed
- It will be mandatory for short-term lets in England.
- It will be national and run mainly online.
- It is meant to be low cost and simple to use.
Proposed, not yet confirmed
- Owners give details of the property and themselves, pay a fee and receive a registration number to show when advertising.
- The 2023 consultation also suggested safety self-certification and a count of nights let.
- Councils enforcing it with civil penalties.
- Booking sites showing the number, or refusing listings without one.
What to do now. Whatever the final details, the same things are likely to matter: gas, electrical and fire safety paperwork in order, your lender’s and freeholder’s permission, the right insurance, and a record of the nights your home is let.
The planning change still on hold
In 2023 the government consulted on a new planning use class for short-term lets in England, known as C5, with permitted development rights to move between a home and a short let. In February 2024 it said it would bring one in. As of September 2026 it has not been introduced, and the consultation response has not been published.
Until it is, whether a short let needs planning permission depends on the existing rules and how the home is used. If you are unsure, ask your council’s planning team.
London’s 90-night rule
In London, a whole home can be used for short stays for up to 90 nights in a calendar year without planning permission, provided council tax is paid on it. The rule comes from the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, as changed by the Deregulation Act 2015. Beyond 90 nights, you need planning permission from the borough.
The limit counts every night on every site together. Airbnb applies it automatically to whole homes in London: once a home reaches 90 nights, its calendar closes to further short stays until 1 January. Stays of 90 nights or more in a row do not count towards the limit, and hosts with planning permission can ask Airbnb for an exemption.
Wales: register now, levy by council
Registration
The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 became law on 18 September 2025. The register is run by the Welsh Revenue Authority and opens in October 2026. Everyone taking overnight bookings of 31 nights or less must register by 31 March 2027, even where their council does not charge the levy.
- Registration is free.
- You give your contact details, date of birth, trading name, each property, the types of accommodation, when you take bookings, the number of units and the most guests you take.
- Penalties for not registering start at £100 per property and can reach £1,400 in total per property.
The visitor levy
Each Welsh council decides whether to charge a visitor levy, and must give 12 months’ notice. The rate for self-catering and most other stays is £1.30 per person per night. Shared rooms in hostels and bunkhouses, and tent pitches, pay 75p, with under-18s exempt at that rate. VAT is added if the provider is VAT registered, and stays of more than 31 nights are exempt.
| Council | Position in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Cardiff | Charging from 1 April 2027. Providers must keep records from 28 September 2026. |
| Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd | Consulted in 2026, with decisions due from late September 2026. Gwynedd could start no earlier than October 2027. |
| Other councils | None had confirmed a levy. |
Licensing to follow
The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026, which became law on 27 April 2026, sets up a licensing scheme, starting with self-catering. It is expected from 2029 at the earliest, once the standards are published.
For comparison: Scotland
Scotland went further, sooner. Every short let there has needed a licence from the council since 1 October 2022, and in control areas such as Edinburgh planning permission may be needed too. We do not run homes in Scotland, but it shows the direction the rest of the UK is moving in.
What we do about it
We register the homes we run when England’s register opens, and register our Welsh homes with the Welsh Revenue Authority. Where a council charges the visitor levy, we make sure it is collected and paid. In London we plan the calendar around the 90-night limit and fill the rest of the year with longer stays.
Get my free assessmentQuestions owners ask
When does the short-let register start in England?
No date has been set in law. The Culture Secretary told Parliament on 3 September 2026 that it will be up and running in full by March, reported as March 2027.
Will it cost anything to register in England?
Probably, but the fee has not been announced. The government has said the scheme should be low cost. In Wales, registration is free.
Do I need to register a home in Wales if my council does not charge the levy?
Yes. Everyone in Wales taking overnight bookings of 31 nights or less must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 March 2027, whether or not their council charges the levy.
Does the 90-night rule apply outside London?
No. The 90-night limit is a London rule. Elsewhere in England there is no night limit, though planning rules, your mortgage and your lease still apply.
Is the C5 use class for short lets in force?
No. It was proposed in 2023, and the government said in 2024 it would introduce it, but as of September 2026 it has not been brought in.
