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Getting a short-term let licence

Types of short-term let licence

Last updated
9 Oct 2025

The type of licence you need depends on whether you live in the accommodation and when you let it out.

Types of licence

There are 4 types of licence:

  • secondary letting
  • home sharing
  • home letting
  • home letting and home sharing

Secondary letting licence

You need this licence if you let out accommodation where you do not normally live. For example, a second home or holiday apartment.

Home sharing licence

You need this licence when you let out all or part of your own home while you’re living there.

Home letting licence

You need this licence when you let all or part of your own home while you’re not there. For example, while you're on holiday.

This can include ‘home swapping’, when someone uses your home in exchange for use of their home or other accommodation. You need a short-term let licence if you swap your home in the course of business.

Home letting and home sharing licence

You need this licence if you let out all or part of your own home both:

  • while you are living there
  • at times when you're not there

Temporary licences and exemptions

Some councils will allow you to apply for a temporary licence or exemption.

It’s up to the council to decide what conditions you must meet to get these.

Temporary licences 

You can apply for a temporary licence, for a maximum of 6 weeks a year.

If you’re applying for a full licence, councils can give you a temporary licence while your application is being processed. This can last longer than 6 weeks.

Temporary exemptions

A temporary exemption allows you to temporarily provide short-term lets without a licence.

You can apply for up 3 exemptions in one 12-month period. These must not last more than 6 weeks in total.

Provisional licences

You can apply for a provisional licence if you’re building new accommodation to use as a short-term let.

This shows banks and lenders that you’re likely to get a full licence when the building is finished.

You must apply to change this to a full licence before you can take bookings or let it out when it’s finished.

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