Quick answer: In London you can let a whole home as short-term accommodation (stays of fewer than 90 consecutive nights) for up to 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. Nights are counted across every platform combined. Stays of 90+ consecutive nights, hosted room lets and properties with planning permission sit outside the limit.
London is one of the strongest short-let markets in the world, but it is also one of the most tightly controlled. If you own a flat or house in the capital and are weighing up Airbnb, Booking.com or serviced accommodation, the first rule you need to understand is the 90-night rule. This guide explains where it comes from, what counts towards it, what does not, and how landlords keep a London property earning all year while staying compliant.
Where does the 90-night rule come from?
Since the 1970s, using a London home for temporary sleeping accommodation has needed planning permission under section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973. The Deregulation Act 2015 (section 44) relaxed this, allowing homes to be used for short lets for up to 90 nights in a calendar year without permission, as long as the person letting it is liable for council tax on the property.
The rule applies across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London. Above 90 nights, a whole-home short let is treated as a material change of use, and you would need planning permission from the local council.
What counts towards the 90 nights?
- Booked nights, not listed nights. A stay from Monday to Wednesday is two nights. Nights the property sits empty do not count.
- Every platform added together. 50 nights on Airbnb plus 50 on Booking.com is 100 nights, and that is a breach even though each platform alone looks fine.
- Direct bookings too. Nights booked through your own website or by word of mouth count in the same way.
- Whole-home lets. The limit applies when the entire property is let and you are not living there during the stay.
What does not count?
- Stays of 90 or more consecutive nights. These are not short-term use, so they sit outside the limit.
- Hosted stays. Letting a room while you live in the property and are present is not restricted by the 90-night cap.
- Properties with planning permission. If the council has granted change of use for short-term letting, the 90-night limit no longer applies.
What happens if you go over 90 nights?
Breaching the limit means the property is being used without the planning permission it needs. Councils can serve enforcement notices requiring the use to stop, and ignoring one is a criminal offence, with unlimited fines possible in court. Several boroughs actively monitor listings, and neighbours often report heavy short-let use. Airbnb also caps London entire-home listings at 90 booked nights a year automatically, but other platforms may not, so the responsibility for tracking the total sits with you.
Before you start, also check two things that catch many landlords out: your lease (many London leaseholds prohibit short lets or business use) and your mortgage (most buy-to-let lenders need consent). Insurance also needs to cover short-term guests.
How do landlords keep a London property earning all year?
The landlords who do best in London treat the 90 nights as a scarce resource. Rather than filling the calendar with short stays from January, they save those nights for the busiest, highest-rate periods and fill the rest of the year with longer stays.
- Use the 90 nights in peak season. Summer, major events and the Christmas period command the highest nightly rates, so short stays work hardest then.
- Fill the rest with 90+ night placements. Corporate staff on projects, relocating families and contractors often need three months or more, and these stays sit outside the limit.
- Track every night across every channel. A single calendar that combines Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and direct bookings is essential.
- Consider planning permission where it makes sense. Some boroughs are more open to change of use than others; it is worth a pre-application conversation for the right property.
This is exactly how we run properties at Corporate Stays. We have placed corporate and relocation guests since 2018, so we can fill the longer periods that pure Airbnb managers leave empty. Read our short let vs long let comparison to see the numbers on a real Canary Wharf flat.
Are the rules changing?
England is introducing a national registration scheme for short-term lets, which will give councils better data on who is letting what. As of autumn 2026 it is still being rolled out, and the London 90-night rule continues to apply alongside it. Long-let landlords have also seen big changes this year under the Renters’ Rights Act, which is one reason more owners are looking at short and corporate lets.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 90-night rule apply outside London?
No. The 90-night limit comes from London-specific legislation and applies across the 32 London boroughs and the City of London. Other parts of England have different rules, and a national short-term let registration scheme is expected.
Do stays of 90 nights or more count?
A single stay of 90 or more consecutive nights is not treated as short-term use, so it does not count towards the 90-night limit. This is why longer corporate and relocation placements are useful for London landlords.
What happens when Airbnb reaches 90 nights?
Airbnb automatically blocks further bookings for entire-home listings in London once they hit 90 booked nights in a calendar year, unless the host confirms they have planning permission. Other platforms may not do this, so you need to track nights across all channels yourself.
Does the count reset every year?
Yes. The limit runs per calendar year, from 1 January to 31 December, rather than a rolling 12 months.
Can I rent a room in my own home without a limit?
If you live in the property and are there while guests stay, letting a room is not caught by the 90-night limit. It applies to letting the whole home while you are not living there.
Thinking about short lets for your London property? Get a free income estimate or message us on WhatsApp and we will show you what your property could earn, and how to do it within the rules.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check the latest GOV.UK guidance or speak to a solicitor or accountant before making decisions about your property. Last reviewed October 2026.
