Kit had just been offered a three-month contract in London. The job started in four weeks, his flat in Leeds was already let, and he needed somewhere to live from day one — not a six-month commitment, not a hotel bill, just a home for twelve weeks. He searched “short term renting UK” and found pages written for landlords and holiday cottages by the sea. Nothing told him what rights he would actually have, what a short let would cost, or how to tell a genuine short let from a scam.

Short-term renting in the UK is a maze of licences, tenancies, planning rules and pricing — and the rules changed fundamentally on 1 May 2026. This guide explains what a short let is, what rights you do and do not get, the London 90-night rule, Scotland’s licensing scheme, what short lets cost, and how to leave one cleanly.

Quick Answer: A short let is a place you rent for weeks or a few months rather than as your long-term home. The single most important thing to know is that a short let is often NOT a tenancy at all — it is usually a licence, which gives you far fewer rights than a normal tenancy. On a licence you have no deposit protection, no court eviction protection, and no cap on rent in advance. In England, since 1 May 2026, there are no fixed-term tenancies: every assured tenancy is periodic, so a “short let” that gives you exclusive possession of a home as your main residence is likely to be a tenancy. In London, whole-home short lets are capped at 90 nights a year without planning permission. In Scotland, every short-term let needs a council licence. Get the arrangement in writing.

What Is a Short-Term Let?

There is no single legal definition of a “short-term let” in the UK. In practice, it covers:

• A serviced apartment or aparthotel — a furnished flat with hotel-style services.
• A holiday let — a cottage or flat let to guests for days or weeks.
• A short stay in a landlord’s property — a furnished flat let for a few weeks or months, for example while you relocate or work on a contract.
• A room in someone’s home — a short stay with a live-in landlord (a licence, not a tenancy).

None of them is a standard long-term tenancy — and your rights depend entirely on what kind of arrangement you have, not on what the advert calls it.

Type of short let	Who provides it	Usually a tenancy or a licence?
Serviced apartment	Operator or management company	Licence
Holiday let (Airbnb etc.)	Host or property manager	Licence
Short stay in a furnished flat	Private landlord or agent	Depends — can be a tenancy

Short Let or Tenancy: Why the Label Is Not the Whole Story

The document you sign might say “licence agreement”, “short-let agreement” or “holiday let terms”. But the courts look at the reality of the arrangement, not the label on the paperwork. The principle comes from the case of Street v Mountford: if you have exclusive possession of a property, for a rent, for a period of time, you have a tenancy — whatever the document is called.

For an assured tenancy under the Housing Act 1988, all of the following must be true:

• The tenant is an individual — not a company.
• The property is the tenant’s only or principal home.
• The annual rent is under £100,000.
• The landlord is not exempt (for example, a resident landlord).

If any of those fail, the arrangement is not an assured tenancy. A holiday let fails the second test, a company let fails the first, and a room with a live-in landlord fails the fourth. That is why most short lets are licences.

What this means for you:

• If you have exclusive possession of a whole flat, pay rent, and live there as your main home for a few months, you probably have a tenancy — even if the paperwork says “licence”.
• If the landlord lives in the same property, you are a lodger (an excluded occupier) — see our lodger guide.

Warning: If an agent or landlord insists your arrangement is “just a licence” while you have exclusive possession of a whole flat as your main home, be cautious. The label does not decide the legal position — the facts do. If you are unsure, get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice before you sign.

What Rights Do You Get — and Lose — on a Short Let?

Here is how a tenancy and a licence compare:

Right	Assured periodic tenancy (England)	Short-let licence
Deposit protection	Yes — must be protected within 30 days	No — no legal duty to protect it
Protection from eviction	Yes — landlord needs a court order	No — operator can end it under the contract
Rent in advance cap	Yes — one month maximum	No statutory cap
Notice to leave (tenant)	2 months’ written notice	Whatever the contract says
Repairs	Landlord’s duty under section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985	Contract terms; basic safety duties still apply

The New Rules After 1 May 2026: What “Short-Term” Means Now in England

On 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 changed private renting in England fundamentally:

• Section 21 “no-fault” evictions were abolished. A landlord now needs a legal reason (a section 8 ground) and a court order.
• Fixed-term tenancies no longer exist. Every assured tenancy in England is now a periodic tenancy that rolls on month to month.
• Tenants can give 2 months’ written notice to leave at any time.
• Rent can only go up once a year, through the Section 13 process, with 2 months’ notice.
• Rent in advance is capped at one month. A landlord cannot ask for, or accept, more.

What does this mean for short-term renting? A landlord can no longer offer you a genuine three-month fixed term in England — if your arrangement is a tenancy, it is periodic, and you leave by giving 2 months’ notice. The one-month cap on rent in advance applies to tenancies, not licences.

For the full picture of the 2025 Act, see our Renters’ Rights Act guide.

The London 90-Night Rule

The 90-night rule is a planning rule, not a tenancy rule: it limits how many nights a whole home can be let as short-term accommodation.

• The cap is 90 nights per calendar year for letting an entire home in Greater London without planning permission.
• It comes from section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, as amended by section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015.
• It applies to whole-home lets only. Renting a room while the host lives there is not caught by the cap.
• The counter resets on 1 January each year, and counts nights across all platforms combined.
• Beyond 90 nights, the host needs planning permission for a material change of use. In central London, approval is unlikely.
• Airbnb enforces the cap automatically — once a listing reaches 90 booked nights, its calendar closes unless the host confirms they hold the right permission.

What does this mean for you? If you need a London flat for more than 90 nights in a year, a whole-home Airbnb-style let may simply not be available legally. Ask whether the property is within its 90-night allowance, and be wary of any listing let year-round as a short let without planning permission.

Worked Example 1: Kit and the 90-Night Limit

Kit needs a London flat for 12 weeks — 84 nights — which is within the 90-night cap. But if his contract is extended to 16 weeks, the stay becomes 112 nights:

• 16 weeks × 7 nights = 112 nights — 22 nights over the cap (112 − 90 = 22), so the host would need planning permission or Kit would need to move for the extra weeks

Check the length of your stay against the 90-night cap before booking — and if your contract might be extended, plan for it in advance.

Scotland: Short-Term Let Licensing

Scotland has the strictest short-term let rules in the UK. Since 1 October 2022, licensing is mandatory for all short-term let accommodation across Scotland — regardless of how long the let lasts.

• New hosts must obtain a licence from their local council before accepting bookings or receiving guests.
• A licence usually lasts 3 years.
• Operating without a licence is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £2,500 and a possible one-year ban.
• There are four licence types: secondary letting, home sharing, home letting, and a combined licence.
• Edinburgh became the first short-term let control area on 5 September 2022. In a control area, short-term letting of a property that is not your primary residence needs planning permission too.
• All short-term lets in Scotland needed a licence by 1 July 2024. Hosts already trading before October 2022 had to apply by 1 October 2023 to keep operating.

Before booking a short let in Scotland, ask the host or operator for their licence number and check it with the local council. An unlicensed let is operating unlawfully, and your stay could be cut short. A licensed host has also had to meet safety conditions.

Wales and Northern Ireland: What Is Different?

Wales has no short-term let licensing scheme like Scotland’s. Short lets in Wales are governed by the same occupation contract rules as other rented homes under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Planning rules can also bite: some Welsh councils have Article 4 directions for changes of use to holiday lets. For the Welsh rules in full, see our renting in Wales guide.

Northern Ireland also has no short-term let licensing scheme. Short lets are governed by the contract between you and the host or operator, and the notice-to-quit rules for tenancies are different from England — see our renting in Northern Ireland guide for the details.

Nation	Short-let licensing	What it means for you
England	No licensing scheme yet; a national registration scheme is planned but not yet in force	Check the London 90-night rule; otherwise the contract governs
Scotland	Mandatory licensing since 1 Oct 2022; licence usually lasts 3 years; fine up to £2,500	Ask for the licence number and check it with the council
Wales	No licensing scheme; occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016	4 weeks’ notice to end a contract
Northern Ireland	No licensing scheme	Contract governs; check notice-to-quit terms in writing

How Much Does a Short Let Cost? Bills-Included Pricing Explained

Short lets almost always cost more per month than a normal tenancy for the same home, because the price usually includes things you would pay separately: furniture, bills, broadband, cleaning, linen, and the operator’s management costs.

Cost	Short let (serviced apartment)	Normal tenancy
Rent	Higher — includes furniture and services	Lower — unfurnished or part-furnished
Council tax	Usually included or paid by the operator	Paid by you
Energy and water	Usually included	Paid by you
Deposit	May be requested — but NOT protected	Capped at 5 weeks’ rent and protected

To compare fairly, work out the total monthly cost of each option — rent plus every bill you would pay.

Worked Example 2: Selin Compares a Short Let with a Normal Tenancy

Selin needs a one-bedroom flat in Manchester for three months while her own home is renovated. She compares a serviced apartment at £1,900 a month, bills included, with a normal tenancy at £1,100 a month plus bills (figures illustrative).

Serviced apartment (3 months):

• Rent, bills included: £1,900 × 3 = £5,700

Normal tenancy (3 months):

• Rent: £1,100 × 3 = £3,300
• Bills (council tax, energy, water, broadband): £280 × 3 = £840
• Total: £3,300 + £840 = £4,140

The short let costs £1,560 more over three months (£5,700 − £4,140 = £1,560), or £520 a month. But the normal tenancy would also need a deposit of up to five weeks’ rent — £1,100 × 12 ÷ 52 = £253.85 a week, × 5 = £1,269.23 — plus furniture, bills setup and the cost of ending the tenancy after only three months. For Selin, the short let is the simpler and cheaper option in practice.

Deposits on Short Lets: No Protection Scheme — So What Do You Do?

This is the biggest financial risk in short-term renting. If your short let is an assured tenancy, your deposit must be protected in a government-authorised scheme within 30 days of payment, and you can claim up to three times the deposit if it is not protected. But if it is a licence — which most short lets are — there is no legal duty to protect it.

What to do instead:

• Ask whether the deposit will be protected, and in which scheme. If the answer is no, treat the payment as unprotected.
• Pay by bank transfer or card, never in cash. A bank transfer creates a record; a card payment may give you chargeback rights.
• Get a written receipt and the return terms in writing before you pay — the amount, the date, what it covers, how many days after checkout it is returned, and what deductions can be made.
• Take dated photographs of the whole property on arrival — every room, every surface, every appliance. Without them, the operator can claim damage you did not cause.
• Keep the amount small. A large “security deposit” on a licence is a red flag — there is no legal cap and no protection, so negotiate it down or walk away.

For how deposit protection works on a normal tenancy, see our deposit protection guide.

Worked Example 3: Dmitri and the Upfront Payment

Dmitri is offered a two-month short let in Birmingham at £1,400 a month. The operator asks for two months’ rent upfront (£2,800) plus a £1,400 “security deposit” — £4,200 before he gets the keys. If it were an assured tenancy in England:

• Rent in advance cap (assured tenancy): 1 month = £1,400
• Deposit cap (assured tenancy): weekly rent £1,400 × 12 ÷ 52 = £323.08; × 5 weeks = £1,615.38
• Maximum upfront on an assured tenancy: £1,400 + £1,615.38 = £3,015.38
• What the operator is asking: £2,800 + £1,400 = £4,200
• Difference: £4,200 − £3,015.38 = £1,184.62 more than the legal maximum for a tenancy

But Dmitri’s short let is a licence, so neither cap applies in law — and the £1,400 “deposit” would not be protected in any scheme. Dmitri negotiates: one month’s rent upfront plus a £700 deposit, paid by bank transfer, with the return terms in writing. The operator agrees. Dmitri has reduced his exposure from £4,200 to £2,100. That is the practical approach on a licence: negotiate the risk down and document everything.

Paying Rent in Advance: The 1-Month Cap and Where It Does Not Apply

Since 1 May 2026, a landlord in England cannot ask for, or accept, more than one month’s rent in advance on an assured tenancy. The rule is in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, and it applies both before the tenancy agreement is signed and after it. A term asking for more is of no effect.

But the cap applies to tenancies, not licences. On a short-let licence, there is no statutory cap on rent in advance, and an operator can ask for two or three months upfront. That does not mean you should pay it: the money is not protected, you have no easy way to get it back if the stay is cut short, and it may be a sign the operator is not legitimate.

Do not offer six months upfront to “secure” a short let — on a tenancy it would be unlawful for the landlord to accept. On a licence, negotiate: offer one month upfront, pay by card or bank transfer, and get the payment terms in writing. If the operator insists on several months upfront with no protection, walk away.

Corporate Lets and Holiday Lets

Corporate lets. A corporate let is a property rented by a company — usually for an employee, a contractor or a visiting executive to live in. Because the tenant is a company, not an individual, it cannot be an assured tenancy under the Housing Act 1988. Instead, it is a common-law (contractual) tenancy, governed almost entirely by what the parties agree in writing — no deposit protection, no section 21 or section 8 eviction process, and no statutory rent-increase controls. If your employer is arranging the let, ask for a copy of the agreement.

Holiday lets. A genuine holiday let is excluded from the assured tenancy rules by paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1988. The guest has no tenancy rights: no deposit protection, no security of tenure, and no right to challenge the rent. It becomes a problem only when a “holiday let” is used as someone’s actual home for months at a time — the courts look at the reality of the arrangement, and a long-term occupier may in fact have a tenancy. If you are living in a “holiday let” as your only home for several months, get advice.

Where to Find a Short Let — and How to Spot a Scam

Where to look	Best for	Watch out for
Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo	Holiday lets and short stays, with reviews and platform protection	Service fees; the 90-night rule in London
Serviced apartment operators	Weeks to months, bills included, professional management	High monthly cost
Social media and classifieds	Occasionally genuine	Highest scam risk — never pay before viewing

Short lets are a magnet for scams, because the renter is often in a hurry and the sums involved are large:

• No viewing, no video call, no proof the property exists. Never pay for a property you have not seen, in person or on a live video call.
• Pressure to pay quickly, by bank transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards. Genuine operators take card payments or bank transfers and give you time to check the terms.
• No written agreement. A genuine short let comes with written terms — price, dates, deposit, cancellation terms and the operator’s details. If there is nothing in writing, walk away.
• The “landlord” is abroad and cannot meet you. A common scam: the landlord claims to be overseas, asks for a deposit to “secure” the keys, and disappears.

For the full scam-spotting guide, including how to verify a landlord and what to do if you have already paid, see our rental scams guide.

Living in a Short Let: Bills, Council Tax and Day-to-Day Rules

Day-to-day life in a short let is usually simpler than in a normal tenancy. Check the details before you arrive:

• Bills. On a serviced apartment or holiday let, energy, water and broadband are usually included. On a short stay in a private landlord’s flat, they may not be — ask.
• Council tax. On a short let, the host or operator usually stays liable for council tax. You should not normally be asked to pay it, but check: if the arrangement is actually a tenancy, the position may be different. See our council tax guide.
• Insurance. Your belongings are not usually covered by the operator’s insurance. Consider contents insurance — our contents insurance guide explains the options.

Ending a Short Let: How to Leave Cleanly

How a short let ends depends on what kind of arrangement it is:

Arrangement	How it ends	Notice
Assured periodic tenancy (England)	Tenant gives 2 months’ written notice at any time	2 months
Licence (serviced apartment, holiday let)	Under the contract terms — usually at the end of the booked period	As the contract says
Lodger (live-in landlord)	Landlord asks you to leave with reasonable notice	Reasonable notice
Occupation contract (Wales)	Contract-holder gives notice	At least 4 weeks

To leave cleanly:

1. Check the end date and the notice terms before you book. If the contract renews automatically, know how to stop it.
2. Give notice in writing, even if the contract does not require it.
3. Photograph the property again on departure, in the same way you did on arrival, and ask for the deposit back in writing the same day, stating the amount and the bank details for the refund.
4. Keep every document — booking confirmation, contract, payment receipts, photographs — for at least six months after you leave.
5. If the operator will not return your deposit, and the arrangement was a licence, complain in writing to the operator, complain to any redress scheme or trade body it belongs to, try a chargeback, or make a small claim in the county court (under £10,000).

For ending a normal tenancy, see our ending your tenancy guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Short-term renting is a practical solution to a real problem: you need a home for weeks or months, not years. But it is also the part of the rental market where tenants have the fewest rights and the most money at risk. Find out, before you pay anything, whether your arrangement is a tenancy or a licence — that one fact decides your deposit protection, your eviction protection, and the one-month cap.

Check the London 90-night rule, ask for the licence number in Scotland, get everything in writing, pay by traceable means, and never hand over several months’ rent upfront on an unprotected licence.

Before you book, work out your total cost with our bills checklist and our guide to finding a rental. If the figures work and the terms are in writing, a short let is a solid choice.

Further Reading

• GOV.UK — Private renting: tenancy agreements: https://www.gov.uk/private-renting-tenancy-agreements
• Scottish Government — Short-term lets: regulation information: https://www.gov.scot/publications/short-term-lets/
• Shelter England — Private renting advice: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting