Regulation in hospitality follows the activity, and most businesses run several at once. A pub that serves meals and lets rooms is a food business, a licensed premises and accommodation all in one — each part brings its own registrations. Food businesses register with the local authority at least 28 days before opening (free). Selling alcohol in England and Wales needs a premises licence and a personal licence holder. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate licensing regimes. Anywhere guests sleep, fire risk assessment, gas safety and guest-record duties apply.
Where to start
Work out which parts of hospitality you operate in, then follow the matching guidance.
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Serving food
Follow "Register and run a food business" for registration, hygiene and inspections, and "Food hygiene and HACCP" for your food safety management system.
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Selling alcohol and entertainment
Follow "Premises licence (alcohol)" and "Personal licence (alcohol)" for the England and Wales licensing regime — Scotland and Northern Ireland licensing differences are covered within those guides and their devolved siblings.
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Running a hotel, B&B or guest house
Follow "Run a hotel, B&B or guest house" for guest-property liability, the guest registration duty, and the premises safety duties that come with sleeping accommodation.
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Holiday lets and short-term lets
Follow "Holiday let licensing and registration by nation" for the four-nation position, and "Get a short-term lets licence in Scotland" if you let north of the border.
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Campsites, caravan parks and holiday parks
Follow "Run a campsite, caravan site or holiday park" for site licensing, pitch utilities, pools and adventure activities.
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Kitchens, premises and fire safety
Follow "Health, safety and fire requirements for hospitality venues" and "Commercial kitchen safety: gas, ventilation, and legionella" for the duties that come with the building.
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Staff, pay and tips
Follow "Employment law for hospitality businesses", "National Minimum Wage, tips, and pay compliance in hospitality" and "Comply with tipping law in hospitality".
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Outdoor trading and waste
Follow "Outdoor trading and pavement licensing for hospitality" for pavement licences and street trading, and "Commercial waste management for hospitality businesses" for separation and duty-of-care rules.
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The full picture
Follow "Hospitality annual compliance checklist" to audit yourself against every duty, and "Accommodation regulations for hotels, B&Bs, and short-term lets" for the accommodation overview.
The regulators by nation
Hospitality regulation is shared and partly devolved. Local authorities register food businesses and enforce hygiene everywhere, with the Food Standards Agency covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Food Standards Scotland in Scotland. Alcohol licensing runs under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales. Licensing boards run under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 in Scotland, and a court-based system operates in Northern Ireland. Accommodation rules diverge furthest. Scotland licenses short-term lets. Wales opens its statutory visitor accommodation register on 1 October 2026. Northern Ireland requires Tourism NI certification for all tourist accommodation.
What sits alongside the sector rules
Whichever routes apply, employers' liability insurance is compulsory if you employ anyone (£5 million minimum) — only unincorporated businesses employing close family members alone are exempt. Workplace health and safety law and fire risk assessment duties apply to every premises. Display of your food hygiene rating is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland, voluntary in England, and Scotland runs its own information scheme. From 2027 the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — Martyn's Law — is expected to bring preparedness duties for venues with a capacity of 200 or more.
Legal basis
Primary legislation and key regulations