Get the licence or registration your holiday let needs

Guide summary

In Scotland, get a licence from your council before you take guests at a new short-term let
In Scotland, operating without a licence can lead to a Level 4 fine of up to £2,500
In Scotland, a licence lasts up to 3 years, and the council may renew it for longer
In Scotland, test gas pipes, flues and appliances every year, if you have a gas supply
In Scotland, have an electrical safety inspection (EICR) at least every 5 years
In Wales, register if you offer stays of 31 nights or less, even for one night a year
In Wales, the penalty for not registering is £100 per premises, rising to £1,000 per premises
In Greater London, you need planning permission if you let for more than 90 nights in a calendar year

Whether you need a licence, a register entry or a certificate for a self-catering property, where guests look after themselves and no meals are provided, depends on where the property is. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a scheme you must complete before or while you take guests. England has none yet.

London short-term letting limit

The 90-night limit on using residential premises in Greater London as temporary sleeping accommodation without planning permission.

Annual limit: 90 nights per calendar year
Applies to: Any residential premises in Greater London used as temporary sleeping accommodation
Council tax condition: For each night counted, the person providing the accommodation was liable to pay council tax on the premises
Over the limit, or condition not met: A material change of use, so planning permission is needed
Directions: The local planning authority or Secretary of State can disapply the limit for named premises or areas to protect amenity
Legislation: Deregulation Act 2015, section 44
In force: 26 May 2015

In Greater London, using residential premises as temporary sleeping accommodation is a material change of use under section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973. Section 25A, inserted by the Deregulation Act 2015, says it is not a material change of use if two conditions are met. The total number of nights of such use in the calendar year, including earlier uses, must not exceed 90. And for each night counted, the person who provided the accommodation must have been liable to pay council tax on the premises. A local planning authority, with the consent of the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of State may direct that section 25A does not apply to particular premises or to premises in a particular area, where necessary to protect the amenity of the locality (section 25B).

Short-term let licence types in Scotland

The licence types under Scotland's mandatory short-term lets licensing scheme, which applies to lets on or after 1 October 2022.

Scotland requires a licence from the local council for every short-term let. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 made the activity licensable for short-term lets on or after 1 October 2022. New hosts need a licence before they take guests. Hosts who were already operating before that date were protected from the offence if they applied before 1 October 2023 and the application had not yet been decided. The application states one of four licence types, based on your relationship to the property.

Home sharing: Letting all or part of your own home while you are there (for example, a spare room)
Home letting: Letting all or part of your own home while you are away
Secondary letting: Letting a property that is not your home (for example, a dedicated holiday let)
Home sharing and home letting: Combined licence covering both
Licence duration: Up to 3 years; the council may renew for longer
Penalty for unlicensed operation: Level 4 fine of up to £2,500
Application fees: Reasonable fees set by each council

Short-term let licences - mygov.scot (opens in a new tab)

Provisional short-term let licence for new builds in Scotland

The provisional licence option for premises not yet built or still being built, introduced into Scotland's short-term let licensing scheme from 30 August 2024.

Since 30 August 2024, you can apply for a short-term let licence for premises that are yet to be built, or are being built, for use as a short-term let. The change was made by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Amendment Order 2024 (SSI 2024/227), which was made on 29 August 2024 and came into force the next day.

In force: 30 August 2024 (SSI 2024/227)
Who it is for: Premises yet to be built or in the course of being built for use as a short-term let
Application must include: A provisional planning certificate
Effect of the licence: No effect until the council confirms it
To confirm: Apply to the council with the provisional licence, a planning certificate if the first certificate covered only outline permission or permission in principle, and a building standards certificate
Time limit: Treated as revoked if not confirmed within 3 years of issue
Extension: The council may extend the 3 years if construction is delayed by factors outside your control

The council confirms the licence if it is satisfied that, once the premises are built, you could comply with the mandatory conditions and the standard and any further conditions that apply to the licence.

Short-term lets regulation - gov.scot (opens in a new tab)

Mandatory conditions for short-term let licences in Scotland

Safety and compliance conditions that apply to all short-term let licences in Scotland.

All short-term let licences in Scotland have mandatory conditions that licence holders must comply with. These cover safety, property standards, and guest information.

Fire and carbon monoxide: Satisfactory equipment to detect and warn of fire and of hazardous carbon monoxide
Furnishings: Records that guest upholstery and mattresses meet the 1988 fire safety regulations
Gas safety: Annual inspection of all gas pipes, flues and appliances, if there is a gas supply
Electrical safety: Inspection at least every 5 years with an EICR, plus a PAT report for moveable appliances
Private water supply: Meet the owner duties in the 2017 Private Supplies Regulations
Legionella: Risk assessment, whatever the water supply
Repairing standard: Meet it where Chapter 4 of Part 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 applies
Maximum occupancy: Guests must not exceed the number on the licence
Insurance: Buildings insurance for the licence term; public liability insurance for each let
Information for guests: Licence, safety information and reports, and how to call emergency services, where guests can see them
Listings: Licence number, and a valid EPC rating where an EPC is required
Planning: In a control area where permission is needed, an application made or permission in force

Councils can also attach further conditions to individual licences.

Short-term lets licensing guidance - gov.scot (opens in a new tab)

Visitor accommodation registration in Wales

If you take bookings for overnight stays in Wales of 31 nights or less, you must be registered with the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA). The duty applies from 1 October 2026 and penalties can be charged from 1 April 2027, whether you host for one night a year or year-round.

The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 requires visitor accommodation providers to be on a national register kept by the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA / Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru). You must be registered if you provide, or offer to provide, accommodation for stays of 31 nights or less in Wales. The duty to register came into force on 1 October 2026, and penalties for not being registered can be charged from 1 April 2027.

Registration is required whether you host for a single night a year, seasonally, or all year round. Informal hosts, such as those listing a spare room on a booking platform, and professional accommodation providers must both comply.

Legislation: Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025
Royal Assent: 18 September 2025
Duty to register in force: 1 October 2026
Penalties can be charged from: 1 April 2027
Registration body: Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA / Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru)
Who must register: Anyone who provides or offers visitor accommodation in Wales for stays of 31 nights or less
Penalty for non-registration: £100 per premises; then £10 per premises per day for 30 days if still unregistered 30 days after the penalty notice; then £1,000 per premises

Types of accommodation that must register

Visitor accommodation includes:

Hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfast accommodation
Youth hostels and bunkhouses
Pitches or areas for camping, and for mobile homes that are not permanently or semi-permanently in one place
Accommodation at holiday parks and holiday resorts
Static caravans, boats and other vehicles that are permanently or semi-permanently in one place and offered on a short-term basis
Self-catering accommodation, including your own home or a spare room offered on a short-term basis
Any other accommodation offered on a short-term basis for business or leisure travel or educational trips

Accommodation on a Gypsy and Traveller site is not visitor accommodation. Even if your local council does not introduce the Visitor Levy, you must still be registered.

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

VARLEWA 2025 Primary 2025 · Wales Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 Primary 2023 · UK-wide DA 2015 Primary 2015 · UK-wide The Tourism (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 Primary 1992 · N. Ireland Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 Primary 1982 · Scotland Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 Scottish SI 2022 · Scotland The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 (Commencement) Order 2025 Welsh SI 2025 · Wales The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Amendment Order 2024 Scottish SI 2024 · Scotland

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

Tourism NI accommodation guidance (opens in a new tab)

www.tourismni.com · Northern Ireland

Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK · England

Registering visitor accommodation: overview (opens in a new tab)

www.gov.wales · Wales

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (Wales) (opens in a new tab)

FSA · Wales

Business rates relief in Wales (opens in a new tab)

www.gov.wales · Wales

Find your local council licensing page (opens in a new tab)

www.mygov.scot · Scotland

Fire safety guidance for short-term lets (Scotland) (opens in a new tab)

Publication · www.gov.scot · Scotland

Short-term lets - licensing scheme guidance (opens in a new tab)

Publication · www.gov.scot · Scotland

Short-term let registration scheme (England) (opens in a new tab)

DCMS · England

Wales visitor accommodation scheme (opens in a new tab)

www.gov.wales · Wales

Apply for a short-term let licence (Scotland) (opens in a new tab)

www.mygov.scot · Scotland

Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Get the licence or registration your holiday let needs

Legal basis

Official guidance

Related guides in Premises & Operations

Get a short-term lets licence in Scotland

Operating in a short-term let control area

Register your visitor accommodation in Wales

Wales Visitor Levy for accommodation providers

Holiday let tax obligations and business rates