The 90-day rule is London-specific. But planning rules affect every English host.
If you host a short-term let in London, there is a hard legal limit: 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. Go over 90 nights without consent and you are breaking the law.
Outside London, the picture is murkier. There is no national night cap, but your council can still take enforcement action if they decide your property has undergone a material change of use from residential to commercial.
Understanding where the lines are drawn is essential if you want to host legally and confidently.
The London 90-day rule
The Deregulation Act 2015 introduced a specific provision for London. Under Section 44, you can let your home on a short-term basis for up to 90 nights in any calendar year without needing planning permission. This overrode London borough planning restrictions that had previously made most short-term letting technically illegal.
Key points:
- 90 nights per calendar year - resets on 1 January
- Applies to your home - the property must be your sole or main residence for the rest of the year
- Cumulative, not consecutive - 90 separate one-night bookings count the same as one 90-night booking
- Per property, not per platform - nights on Airbnb plus nights on VRBO plus direct bookings all count toward the same 90
If you exceed 90 nights, you need planning permission from your London borough for a change of use. Without it, the council can issue an enforcement notice.
How platforms enforce it
Airbnb automatically blocks bookings in London once a listing hits 90 nights in a calendar year (unless the host confirms they have planning permission). VRBO and Booking.com do not enforce it in the same way, but that does not mean you are exempt - the legal limit still applies regardless of which platform you use.
If you use multiple platforms, you need to track your total nights across all of them. Airbnb only knows about Airbnb bookings. If you have done 60 nights on Airbnb and 40 on VRBO, Airbnb's counter shows 60 but you have already exceeded the legal limit.
Outside London - no cap, but not a free-for-all
There is no statutory 90-day limit outside London. You can, in principle, let your property for 365 nights a year.
But planning law still applies. The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 classifies property by use. A residential dwelling is Use Class C3. A short-term let property that operates more like a hotel is arguably Use Class C1 (or sui generis - outside any class).
The test is whether the use has materially changed. Factors councils consider:
- How many nights per year the property is let
- Whether the owner ever lives there
- Impact on neighbours (noise, parking, footfall)
- Whether it is managed like a commercial operation
A property let for 200+ nights a year with no owner occupation, regular changeovers, and a key safe on the wall looks very different from someone letting their flat for a fortnight while on holiday. The first could face enforcement; the second almost certainly would not.
The national STL registration scheme
England is introducing a mandatory national registration scheme for short-term lets. As of mid-2026, the scheme is expected to launch in late 2026. When it goes live:
- All STL hosts in England will need to register
- Registration numbers will need to be displayed on all listings
- Councils will have better data to identify unregistered operators
- Platforms will be required to verify registration before allowing listings
The registration scheme is separate from planning permission. Having a registration number does not mean you have planning consent, and vice versa.
Watch for updates from DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) on the launch date and registration process.
When do you actually need planning permission?
The honest answer is: it depends on your circumstances.
You almost certainly need planning permission if:
- You are in London and exceeding 90 nights per year
- The property is a dedicated STL (you never live there)
- You are in an area where the council has introduced an Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights for STL use
- Your property is in a conservation area with specific restrictions
You probably do not need planning permission if:
- You let your own home occasionally while you are away
- You are in London and staying under 90 nights
- You are outside London and the letting is genuinely occasional
The grey area:
- Properties outside London let 150-250 nights per year
- Properties where the owner has another primary residence but claims this as home
- Properties in areas where neighbours have complained
If you are in the grey area, it is worth checking with your council's planning department before you get 200 bookings in and receive an enforcement notice.
Article 4 directions
Some councils outside London have used Article 4 directions to remove permitted development rights for short-term letting. An Article 4 direction means that a change of use that would normally be permitted development (and therefore not need planning permission) now requires a planning application.
This is the mechanism councils use to create something like Scotland's STL control areas. If your area has an Article 4 direction covering STL use, you need planning permission regardless of how many nights you let.
Check with your council whether any Article 4 directions are in force that affect short-term lets.
Practical steps for English hosts
- Know your night count - track across all platforms and direct bookings
- Check if you are in London - the 90-day rule only applies within the 32 London boroughs and the City of London
- Check for Article 4 directions - your council's planning page will list any in force
- Register when the scheme launches - stay on top of DLUHC announcements
- Keep records - booking confirmations, guest dates, platform reports. If the council ever queries your use, records are your defence
How SelfLet Stays helps
SelfLet Stays tracks your planning permission status, STL registration, and total booking nights across all channels. When the national registration scheme launches, you will have your compliance history ready. The jurisdiction-aware compliance engine flags what applies in England specifically - no wading through Scottish or Welsh rules that do not affect you.