The London 90-Day Rule: Should You Save Your Remaining Nights for Peak Dates?

Should you save your remaining London short-let nights for peak dates? Sometimes, but only when the likely net return justifies turning away a booking you could accept now. The Airbnb 90-day rule in London makes each legally available night worth planning carefully.

Start with permissions and a reliable night count. Then compare actual enquiries, achievable prices and operating costs. A busy city calendar alone does not guarantee demand for your property.

What the Airbnb 90-day rule in London actually means

In Greater London, the planning exception allows residential premises to be used as temporary sleeping accommodation for up to 90 nights in a calendar year, provided its conditions are met. It is not an unconditional licence to operate a holiday let.

Section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 requires the total to include previous short-let use of the premises in that year, even if someone else provided it. For each relevant night, the accommodation provider, or at least one of multiple providers, must be liable for council tax on the premises.

The allowance belongs to the property, rather than each host or booking website. Count Airbnb, other platforms and direct short-let bookings together. Changing the listing or the manager does not create another allowance.

The year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Going beyond the exception requires appropriate planning permission before exceeding it. An application alone is not permission, and approval should never be assumed.

Westminster's guidance explains that temporary sleeping accommodation covers paid stays by the same person of fewer than 90 consecutive nights. That definition is separate from the cumulative annual allowance.

Who needs to check their position?

This matters to owners and anyone arranging short lets of a London home, including agents acting for them. Freehold ownership does not remove planning requirements. Leaseholders and tenants also need to check whether their agreements permit the proposed use.

Westminster City Council explains that hosts may need permission or notification involving their freeholder, landlord, mortgage provider and insurer. The planning allowance does not override those separate obligations.

Airbnb's automatic limit applies to entire-home listings in Greater London. A room listing or a different booking label should not be treated as proof that a particular arrangement is lawful. Check the actual use with your borough's planning team.

Individual circumstances, planning conditions and local requirements vary. The legislation also allows the exception to be withdrawn for specified premises or areas through a direction. Confirm your property's position before making nights available.

Count what is genuinely left

Keep one record for the property, showing nights already used and future bookings across every channel. Reconcile it when bookings change. Airbnb's counter cannot replace your own complete record of activity elsewhere.

For example, if a home has used 62 qualifying nights and has another 18 committed this year, only 10 remain unallocated within a 90-night allowance. This is an illustration, not an assessment of any particular home.

Airbnb's night-limit guidance says bookings spanning two calendar years are allocated night by night to the relevant year. A stay crossing New Year should therefore be split in your records, rather than assigned entirely to its arrival year.

Do not assume that calling a stay “mid-term” or making it 28 nights removes it from London's planning rules. A genuinely longer residential arrangement can raise different tenancy, planning and insurance questions. Get advice on the proposed use before accepting it.

Identify peak dates that fit your property

Look for a reason guests would choose your neighbourhood and home on specific dates. Then test that idea against comparable properties, your own booking history and current enquiries.

Visit London's official Christmas guide lists festive attractions, markets and shows. It is a useful research starting point for the remaining autumn and winter calendar, but it does not establish occupancy or nightly rates for an individual flat.

• Check event dates with the organiser before adjusting availability
• Compare genuinely similar homes by location, bedrooms, quality and guest capacity
• Check the practical journey to the event or attraction
• Review enquiry quality and booking lead time, not advertised prices alone
• Include owner use, cleaning capacity and existing commitments in the plan

A central theatre weekend and a family visit near relatives may suit different homes. The best dates are those your property can serve well at a worthwhile price.

Compare net outcomes before holding nights back

Build two simple scenarios: accept a suitable booking now, or reserve some availability for a later opportunity. Use the amount likely to remain after platform charges, management fees, cleaning, linen, utilities and other relevant costs.

As a hypothetical example, four nights leaving £180 per night after booking-related costs produce £720. Four later nights leaving £240 each would produce £960 if all four sell. At an assumed 60% chance of selling the whole later block, with nothing earned otherwise, its expected contribution is £576.

Those figures are invented to explain the decision, not market rates or demand forecasts. They show why a higher hoped-for price can still be a weaker choice. Use your own costs and realistic booking scenarios, including partial occupancy.

Minimum stays can help avoid costly turnovers, but they also narrow the enquiries you can accept. Keep them compatible with the nights you legally have available and the guests likely to book.

Make a plan you can review

Consider reserving a small number of well-supported dates rather than closing the whole remaining calendar. Set a review date and a minimum acceptable net outcome. If enquiries do not support the plan, reconsider availability while there is still time to secure a suitable booking.

Honour existing reservations. Do not cancel confirmed guests to chase a higher rate. Once the legally available allowance is committed, close further short-let availability unless the required permissions are in place.

Primary sources checked on 12 October 2026. This is general owner guidance, not individual legal or planning advice. Confirm current requirements with your local authority and relevant advisers. Hero image is an illustrative planning scene.