Letting in London
London’s 90-night rule: plan the calendar before taking bookings
A busy calendar is only useful when the bookings fit the property’s permissions. For a London owner, one of the first questions is how many short-let nights have already been used, including bookings made somewhere else.
The rule to check first
Government guidance explains that the planning exception for temporary sleeping accommodation depends on two conditions: the total must not exceed 90 nights in a calendar year, and at least one person providing the accommodation must be liable for council tax at the property. Exceeding the limit generally requires planning permission. Confirm the position with the borough where the property is located.
The calendar year runs from January to December. It is not a fresh allowance each time you change booking platform or appoint a different manager.
Make one calendar the source of truth
Bring together the stays booked through every platform and any direct arrangements. Record arrival and departure dates, booking changes and the nights actually used. A platform’s automatic block can be useful, but it cannot be assumed to know what happened through another channel.
When handing a property to a manager, include the earlier part of the year. A clean-looking new account says nothing about the property’s previous use. Keep the underlying booking records so that a total can be checked instead of relying on memory.
- Reconcile changes and cancellations before accepting more dates.
- Separate owner-use dates from paid guest stays in your working record.
- Flag a proposed booking that crosses the remaining allowance before confirming it.
An example of the planning problem
Suppose a property has already used 62 qualifying nights this year. A further 21-night booking would take the total to 83, leaving seven nights within the 90-night limit. An additional ten-night stay would take it to 93. The issue needs resolving before that booking is accepted, not after the guest arrives.
This arithmetic explains the counter only. It does not establish that the property meets the other conditions or that every proposed stay falls into the same legal category.
Longer stays need their own assessment
City Hall describes temporary sleeping accommodation by reference to occupation by the same person for fewer than 90 consecutive nights. Calling a stay a corporate booking or a mid-let does not decide how it is treated. A one-month or two-month booking is not automatically outside the rule.
Before changing the letting model, establish the actual arrangements and check the planning, tenancy, insurance and contractual position. Avoid building an income forecast around a supposed exemption that nobody has confirmed for the property.
Sources: London City Hall: guidance on short-term and holiday lets
Check the other permissions alongside the calendar
Even a modest number of bookings can conflict with a lease condition, mortgage term or insurance policy. Keep the written answers from the relevant parties and identify any restrictions that affect guest access, length of stay or the way the property is advertised.
Outside Greater London, do not copy the 90-night counter as though it were a national allowance. Planning permission can still be relevant where the use changes materially; the local authority assesses the circumstances.
A common question
What should I bring to a first conversation with a manager?
The property address, a complete year-to-date booking record, future confirmed stays and any existing planning, lease or insurance documents. Mark anything uncertain so it can be checked before a commitment is made.