London Planning Permission Beyond 90 Nights

Once a London property reaches 90 nights of short-term letting in a calendar year, further short lets normally need planning permission for a change of use, and the borough decides that application on planning merits. The borough will look at housing supply, neighbour amenity, the character of the area, and any local policy on short lets, and it may grant permission with conditions, refuse it, or seek changes to the proposal. There is no automatic right to exceed 90 nights by applying.

That assessment is property specific. A flat in a mixed central area, a house in a quiet residential street, and a unit in a purpose built visitor building will be assessed differently, even though all sit in London. The application must therefore describe the actual property, its neighbours, its management and its mitigation, rather than relying on a general argument about London tourism.

Check the borough's local plan and planning pages, as checked on 26 October 2026, before applying, and keep the night log, the application and any permission together. Planning permission beyond 90 nights, where granted, replaces the night limit with the conditions in the permission.

Housing supply is often the first policy question. Boroughs with housing pressure may resist converting homes into full time short lets, because each conversion removes a home from longer term occupation. An application that shows the property will still contribute to housing, or that sits in an area where visitor accommodation is supported, will be read differently from one that simply removes a family home from the market.

Neighbour amenity is the second question. Noise, guest turnover, parking, waste and common area use all affect neighbours, and boroughs weigh the management plan heavily here. A named local contact, clear guest rules, limits on guest numbers and a complaint handling promise all help, while an application silent on management invites objections.

Character and cumulative effect form a third question. A street or block with many short lets may be assessed differently from one with a single let, because cumulative turnover changes the feel of a residential area. Applicants should acknowledge the local context honestly, rather than presenting their property as if it existed in isolation.

Describe the use precisely: property type, floor, access, guest numbers, night pattern, management, cleaning, parking, waste and local contact. Vague descriptions force planners to assume the worst, while precise descriptions allow them to assess the real proposal. Include floor plans or layout information where the borough asks for it, and explain how guests will use shared spaces.

Address objections before they are made. If neighbours are likely to raise noise, explain quiet hours, guest briefing and contact response times. If parking is tight, explain the parking allocation and any restriction on guest vehicles. If waste is a concern, explain collection days and bin handling. Mitigation described in the application can become a condition, which is a better outcome than a refusal.

Allow time. Borough determination periods, consultation and possible revisions mean an application should be made well before night 90 is reached. A host who applies at night 85 with bookings planned to night 120 has created a deadline problem that a timely application would have avoided. Plan the application around the night log, not around a booking calendar.

Conditions in a granted permission are enforceable limits, not guidance. They may cap nights at a number above 90, cap guests, require a management plan, require a local contact, or set operational rules. Breaching a condition can lead to enforcement, so conditions should be read on grant, built into house rules and listing terms, and reviewed at each season.

A refusal will give planning reasons, usually tied to specific policies. Read those reasons as a brief for a revised proposal: fewer nights, fewer guests, stronger management, or a different use pattern may address the policy objection. Some refusals point to a fundamental housing objection that a revised short let proposal cannot overcome, in which case a longer letting pattern may be the realistic alternative.

Appeal and resubmission routes exist, with timescales and procedures set by planning law. Those routes should be considered with professional advice where the stakes justify it, and deadlines must be noted on receipt of the decision. Continuing to let beyond 90 while an appeal is pending, without borough confirmation that it is permitted, risks enforcement during the appeal.

Planning permission does not override a lease, a freeholder covenant or a building rule. A leasehold London flat may need freeholder consent for short letting, and a building may cap lets or require association approval, regardless of borough permission. Check those documents before applying, because a borough permission for a let that a lease prohibits is of limited practical value.

Building management also matters for flats. Common parts, lifts, refuse areas and security systems are shared, and guest use of them affects other residents. A management plan that addresses common parts, guest access and refuse handling will help both the planning application and building relations, while a plan that ignores common parts will draw objections from both directions.

Buyers should verify borough permission, lease consent and building rules together before purchase. A London flat marketed for short letting should be supported by documents on all three, not by a single permission or by a night count alone.

Keep the permission, its conditions, the night log, guest records and management plan in one file, and review conditions at each season. If a condition limits nights, set a log alert below that limit, so the decision about next year is made early. If a condition requires a local contact or management steps, evidence those steps in the file.

Re-check borough policy annually, because local plans and short let policies change. A permission already granted remains the governing document for that property, but new policy can affect extensions, variations or neighbouring properties, and a host who stays current can plan around those changes.