Food, Drink & Hospitality

Run a hotel, B&B or guest house

Serviced accommodation carries duties most other businesses never meet — strict liability for guests' property under the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956, a legal duty to keep records of every guest aged 16 or over, and premises safety obligations that are stricter wherever people sleep. This guide covers the duties that attach to letting rooms, and routes onward for food, alcohol and employment.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

Related guides in Fire Safety

This guide is for hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses in Great Britain — businesses offering serviced overnight accommodation. (Northern Ireland adds Tourism NI certification under the Tourism (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 and has its own Hotel Proprietors Act 1958; uncertified operation there is an offence.) Self-catering holiday lets have their own guide, routed at the end.

A. Liability for guests' property

The Hotel Proprietors Act 1956 — which extends to England, Wales and Scotland — makes a "hotel" (an establishment offering food, drink and sleeping accommodation to any traveller who appears able and willing to pay) strictly liable for guests' property. Guest houses and B&Bs that reserve the right to choose their guests fall outside the Act — but then carry ordinary negligence liability without its limits. You can limit the Act's liability by displaying the statutory notice in the form set out in the Act at or near reception; without it the limits do not apply.

B. Guest records

The Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 is still in force: every guest aged 16 or over must give their name and nationality, guests who are not British, Irish or Commonwealth citizens must also provide passport details and their next destination, and you must keep the records for at least 12 months. Those records are personal data, so UK GDPR duties apply to how you store them.

C. Premises safety where people sleep

Sleeping accommodation raises the bar on premises duties. In England and Wales your fire risk assessment must be recorded in full (a duty on all responsible persons since 1 October 2023) and reflect that guests sleep on the premises and do not know the building; in Scotland the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 regime applies. Annual gas safety checks, periodic electrical inspection (five-yearly EICRs are the private rented sector standard and good practice for guest accommodation), and a legionella risk assessment for the water system all apply. From 2027 the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — Martyn's Law — is expected to add preparedness duties for premises with a capacity of 200 or more; the duties are not yet in force.

D. Access, televisions and guest-facing duties

As a service provider you owe reasonable adjustments to disabled guests under the Equality Act 2010 — anticipatory duties that cover booking, access and the rooms themselves. A Hotel and Mobile Units Television Licence covers the first 15 units of guest accommodation, with an additional fee for every further five or fewer.

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    1. Display the statutory liability notice

    Put the Hotel Proprietors Act notice up at reception before you take your first guest — the liability limits only apply while it is displayed.

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    2. Set up your guest register

    Capture name and nationality for every guest 16 or over (passport details and next destination for non-British, Irish or Commonwealth guests); keep records 12 months.

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    3. Get the safety paperwork in order

    Recorded fire risk assessment, annual gas safety check, electrical inspection cycle and legionella risk assessment — all before opening.

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    4. Register the breakfast service

    Serving any food, including breakfast, means registering as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before opening (free).

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    5. Check your licences

    A bar or honesty fridge selling alcohol needs a premises licence and a personal licence holder; TV licence cover for guest rooms; music licensing if you play music in public areas.

Go deeper

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    Food registration and hygiene

    Follow "Register and run a food business" for registration, hygiene and your food hygiene rating.

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    Alcohol licensing

    Follow "Premises licence (alcohol)" and "Personal licence (alcohol)" if you serve drinks.

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    Holiday lets

    Follow "Holiday let licensing and registration by nation" if you also let self-catering units.

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    The accommodation overview

    Follow "Accommodation regulations for hotels, B&Bs, and short-term lets" for the wider accommodation picture, including the Wales visitor accommodation register.

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    The wider hospitality picture

    Follow "Which hospitality rules apply to your business" to route across the whole estate.

Official sources

Key gateways for serviced accommodation.