Landlord Advice
Is there a 90 night Airbnb limit outside London?
Quick answer
No. The 90 night limit on whole home short lets is a Greater London rule, and it doesn't apply anywhere else in England. Outside London, the checks that matter are your mortgage, insurance, lease and local planning position, not a nightly cap.
Written by Guy, Director at Renzo · Published · Last updated · 4 min read
Where the 90 night rule actually comes from
The rule is real, but it's local. Since 2015, Greater London has had a limit on letting a whole home short term: past 90 nights in a calendar year, you need planning permission for change of use. It was aimed at homes being permanently turned into de facto hotels in a city with a housing squeeze.
Airbnb enforces the cap automatically on London listings, which is a big part of why the number is so well known. Landlords see it in their dashboard, remember it, and assume it's national. It isn't.
So does my town have a limit?
Outside Greater London, there's no national 90 night cap and no equivalent statutory limit for a normal home. If your property is in Nottingham, Lincoln, Bedford or most other towns and cities, the number of nights you can let is a matter of demand, not law.
That matters for income, too. Our model targets longer bookings from contractors and relocating families, so many of our properties are occupied most of the year. We average 80% occupancy across more than 50 properties, and a national night cap would make that impossible. There isn't one.
Why do so many landlords believe the myth?
Three reasons. Airbnb's London cap is visible to everyone. National news stories about short let regulation are usually about London or tourist hotspots. And plenty of content online is written for the biggest market and never says so. So the rule gets repeated until it sounds like common knowledge.
My honest opinion: this myth costs landlords real money. I've spoken to owners who limited their own calendar for no reason, because a forum post about London scared them off filling their summer.
What actually limits you outside London?
Not a night cap, but these are still real checks:
- Mortgage: most buy to let mortgages need lender consent for short letting
- Insurance: standard landlord cover usually won't apply, so specialist short let cover is needed
- Lease: leasehold flats can have clauses restricting short stays
- Planning: generally fine for a normal home, but some councils have their own controls
We walk through all four in is my property suitable for short lets, and if you're switching from a tenancy, our switching guide covers the order to do them in.
The one line to remember
The 90 night limit is a London planning rule, full stop. If your property isn't in Greater London, don't cap your own calendar because of it. Check the four things above instead, and if you want a straight answer on your own property, ask us for a free assessment.
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FAQs
Does the 90 night rule apply outside London?
No. It's a Greater London planning rule from 2015 and doesn't apply elsewhere in England.
Why does Airbnb show a 90 night cap to some hosts?
Airbnb enforces the London rule automatically on London listings. Hosts outside London don't get that cap.
Are other cities introducing limits?
A few councils have looked at controls, mostly in tourist hotspots. There's no national night cap, and any local change comes with notice.
What should I check instead of a night limit?
Your mortgage consent, your insurance cover, your lease, and your council's planning position. Those are the real constraints.