London is the one city in England with a cap on short lets. If you host there, this is the rule that shapes your calendar. It was checked in October 2026, and it is general information, not legal advice.
The rule
Across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, an entire home can be used for short stays of under 90 consecutive nights for up to 90 nights in a calendar year without planning permission, as long as the person letting it pays its council tax. The government's announcement sets it out.
Three things people get wrong
The count belongs to the property, not to you. If two different people let the same home for short stays in one calendar year, both sets of nights count towards the same 90.
It resets on 1 January. Not on the anniversary of your first booking.
Letting a spare room is different. The rule covers using an entire home for short stays. Letting a room while you live there is generally not caught by it, but check with your borough if your set-up is unusual.
Going over
Short-stay nights beyond 90 in a calendar year need planning permission for a change of use. Without it, the borough can take enforcement action.
Keeping count across platforms
Airbnb applies the 90-night limit automatically to entire-home listings in London, but nights booked on other platforms count towards the same total. If you list on Booking.com or Vrbo as well as Airbnb, keep one calendar of short-stay nights across every channel: it is the only place the real number lives.
Keeping rates and availability in step across platforms is one of the jobs an Allkempt VA does. See how channel management works.
Before your first booking
Many London flats are leasehold, and leases often restrict short letting or subletting. A freeholder can enforce that whatever the planning position, so read the lease first.
The rest of the rules
The 90 nights sit on top of the rules every English host has to know: business rates, the second homes premium, the coming national register and visitor levies. They are in four rules every English short-let host should know. For hosting and cleaning in the capital, see our London cleaning page.
Questions
Is the 90-night count per host or per property?
Per property. If two different people let the same home for short stays in one calendar year, both sets of nights count towards the same 90.
Does the 90-night rule apply if I'm letting a room in my own home?
The 90-night rule covers using an entire home for short stays. Letting a spare room while you live there is generally not caught by it, but check with your borough if your set-up is unusual.
What happens if a London property goes over 90 nights?
Short-stay nights beyond 90 in a calendar year need planning permission for a change of use. Without it, the borough can take enforcement action.