Holiday Let Licensing in England 2026: The New Registration Scheme Explained

The New Mandatory Registration Scheme

England's mandatory short-term let registration scheme, introduced under powers granted by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, was launched in 2025. By 2026, it is fully operational. The scheme creates, for the first time, a national register of properties used for short-term accommodation in England.

The scheme is administered locally — hosts register with the relevant local authority — but operates on a nationally standardised basis, with a common format for registration numbers. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now MHCLG) has published guidance setting out the mandatory requirements that all local authorities must implement.

Who Must Register?

The scheme applies to any property in England offered as short-term let accommodation — defined as accommodation provided for payment for a period of less than 90 consecutive nights. This covers:

• Properties listed on platforms including Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Sykes Cottages and similar.
• Properties marketed directly by their owners via personal websites or social media.
• Properties provided through property management companies acting as agents.

The scheme applies to the **property owner**, not the platform or the managing agent (though agents may register on behalf of owners with appropriate authority).

The scheme does not apply to:

• Hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, and other accommodation that requires a separate premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003.
• Residential tenancies (assured shorthold tenancies or longer-term lettings).
• Properties already subject to mandatory HMO licensing (which have separate compliance requirements).

The Registration Process

Registration is completed online via the relevant local authority's portal. The process requires the host to provide:

**Property details:** Full address (with UPRN where known), property type, number of bedrooms, maximum occupancy.

**Owner identity:** Name, address, and contact details of the property owner. Companies must provide their registered company number.

**Safety compliance evidence:** Evidence that the property meets basic safety standards, including:

• A current gas safety certificate (where the property has gas).
• An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) within the last five years.
• Smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with combustion appliances, tested before each guest stay.
• An emergency contact plan for guests.

**Planning confirmation:** A declaration that the use of the property for short-term letting is lawful under planning law, including whether the property is in an Article 4 Direction area requiring planning permission for short-term use.

On successful registration, the host is issued with a unique registration number in a standardised national format. This number must be displayed on all platform listings and in all marketing materials.

The Role of Booking Platforms

Under the scheme's provisions, platforms are required to display registration numbers on listings and to take down listings that do not carry valid registration numbers after a transition period. MHCLG has worked with major platforms on their technical integration. Hosts who fail to obtain or display a registration number risk having their listings removed by the platform.

Relationship With Planning Rules

Registration under the scheme does not provide planning permission. These are separate legal frameworks:

**The registration scheme** is about safety, identity and data collection — it confirms that the host has met minimum safety standards and has a legitimate operational record.

**Planning law** controls the use of land. Using a property as a short-term let may require planning permission depending on the frequency and nature of letting, local Article 4 Directions, and the new C5 use class for short-term lets introduced in 2024. Registration does not legitimise a use that is unauthorised for planning purposes.

A host can be registered under the scheme but still subject to enforcement action by the local planning authority if the short-term let use is unlawful from a planning perspective.

Abolished FHL Tax Status — Interaction With Registration

The Furnished Holiday Let (FHL) tax regime was abolished from 6 April 2025. Previously, FHL status gave qualifying properties access to Capital Allowances, entrepreneurs' relief and income-averaging rules. The abolition of FHL is independent of the registration scheme — the scheme contains no reference to tax status. However, for hosts who previously relied on FHL status when calculating their income tax position, the interaction between the registration scheme's data collection and HMRC's data-matching capabilities is worth noting: registration creates a data trail that HMRC can use to cross-check declared income from short-term letting.

What Hosts Should Do

If you let any property as a short-term holiday accommodation in England, you should: register with your local authority immediately if you have not already done so; display your registration number on all listings; ensure your safety certificates are current; and review your planning position with your local authority or a planning consultant if you are uncertain whether your use requires planning permission.