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England’s short-term let register: what UK hosts need to know

gov.uk says England’s mandatory short-term let register is expected to begin in March 2027. But the fee, the penalties and who runs it haven’t been published. Here’s what’s confirmed, what’s only proposed, and what’s still unknown, from official sources only, each one dated.

By the PeakRate team. We're UK holiday-let hosts. Facts checked on 17 October 2026; sources are listed at the end.

What’s confirmed

• The law exists. Section 228 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 says the Secretary of State “must by regulations make provision requiring or permitting the registration of specified short-term rental properties in England.”
• It will be mandatory and national. In February 2024 the government chose a mandatory scheme across all of England, the option 61% of consultation responses supported. It said the register won’t affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs.
• The expected date is March 2027. On 2 October 2026, gov.uk updated its guidance for self-catering holiday homes: the scheme “is expected to begin in March 2027”. The section is still headed “not yet in force”.

What’s only proposed

The Act allows the regulations to do a lot. Allowed isn’t the same as decided.

• Fees, civil penalties, and a ban on providing or advertising an unregistered short-term let are all things the regulations may include.
• “No number, no listing”. The 2023 consultation floated platforms only listing lets with a valid registration number.
• How long registration lasts. It asked whether registration should last one to five years, or be one-off.
• The fee. It said the scheme should pay for itself through fees, without raising money beyond its costs.
• Penalties. It proposed civil penalties and said the government had no plans for criminal sanctions.

Use class C5: still a proposal

In April 2023 the government consulted on a new planning use class, “C5 Short Term Let”, with permitted development rights to move between homes and short-term lets. In February 2024 it said it would introduce one. But:

• the consultation page on gov.uk still shows no published government response (as of 17 October 2026);
• we found no C5 order on legislation.gov.uk (the latest England Use Classes amendment listed is from 2020);
• today’s gov.uk guidance says only that your local planning authority decides whether you need planning permission.

So treat C5 as a proposal, not law. (Wales is different: it created its own classes in October 2022, where C5 means second homes and C6 means short-term lets.)

What nobody can tell you yet

• the fee, and whether it’s per owner or per property;
• the penalties;
• who runs the register (the 2023 consultation asked about councils, VisitEngland or another body);
• who’s exempt, including whether people who let their home only occasionally need to register (the government said it would “continue to consider the case” for a threshold);
• what information you’ll provide, and the exact start date.

All of that waits for the regulations. When we searched legislation.gov.uk on 17 October 2026, we found none published, in draft or made.

Dates have slipped before. In February 2024, the government said the changes would be introduced “from this summer”. Treat March 2027 as expected, not fixed.

How England compares with Scotland and Wales

gov.uk (2 Oct 2026); mygov.scot (9 Oct 2025); gov.wales / Welsh Revenue Authority (1 and 8 Oct 2026). At the end of 2025, 32,317 Scottish licences and exemptions were in operation (gov.scot statistics, 28 Apr 2026).

What you can do now

1. In England, there’s nothing to register yet. Don’t pay anyone to “register” you on an official scheme that doesn’t exist yet.
2. Follow the rules that already apply. gov.uk lists fire safety, gas and carbon monoxide safety, electrical safety, insurance, an EPC check, and asking your council about planning. The 2023 consultation asked whether registering should mean showing rules like these are met, so keep your safety paperwork ready.
3. Get the email alert on gov.uk’s self-catering guidance page, so you hear when it changes.
4. Lets in Wales: register with the Welsh Revenue Authority before 31 March 2027. Lets in Scotland: you need a licence before you take bookings.
5. Know your numbers. If a registration fee does arrive, your nightly price has to cover it, like any other cost.

Not the same thing: in September 2026 the government said mayors and local leaders in England will get the power to charge an overnight visitor levy, as a percentage of the accommodation cost. That’s a separate tax, not the register.

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• Airbnb minimum stay

Sources

1. gov.uk, "Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations" (DCMS, updated 2 October 2026): expected March 2027, "not yet in force", planning, safety rules, email alerts
2. legislation.gov.uk, Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, section 228: the duty to make registration regulations, fees, civil sanctions, prohibition of unregistered lets
3. gov.uk, "Delivering a registration scheme for short-term lets" (DCMS, 19 February 2024): mandatory national scheme, 61% support, no effect on hotels, hostels or B&Bs, threshold still being considered
4. gov.uk press release, "Short-term lets rules to protect communities and keep homes available" (19 February 2024): changes "from this summer"
5. gov.uk, "Consultation on a registration scheme for short-term lets in England" (DCMS, 12 April 2023): no number, no listing; one to five years; cost-recovery fees; no criminal sanctions
6. gov.uk, "Introduction of a use class for short term lets and associated permitted development rights" (DLUHC, 12 April 2023): C5 Short Term Let; still a closed consultation with no response, 17 October 2026
7. legislation.gov.uk title searches, 17 October 2026: no C5 order and no register regulations found
8. mygov.scot, "Getting a short-term let licence" (9 October 2025); gov.scot news on the 1 October 2023 deadline; gov.scot "Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 31 December 2025" (28 April 2026)
9. gov.wales / Welsh Revenue Authority, "Registering visitor accommodation: overview" (updated 8 October 2026) and "Failing to register, update details or deregister your visitor accommodation" (1 October 2026)
10. gov.wales written statement, "Changes to planning legislation and policy for second homes and short-term lets" (30 September 2022)
11. gov.uk press release, "Local leaders handed powers to drive investment in communities" (10 September 2026): overnight visitor levy

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