England's short-term let register: the March 2027 target and how to get ready

Key points

• Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said England's register of short-term and holiday lets will be fully operational by March 2027.
• It is expected to be mandatory and mostly online. The detail on what information hosts must give, and how often, has not been published.
• Reports on the plans say hosts would get a unique reference number to show on every platform where they advertise.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland already run schemes, and Wales is starting a visitor accommodation register from October 2026.

England is the last part of the UK without a national system for tracking short-term lets. That is changing. The government has now given a date, and operators with properties in England should start planning for it.

What is confirmed

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed that England's register of short-term and holiday lets will be fully operational by March 2027¹. The scheme is expected to be mandatory and delivered mainly online¹.

The government's own guidance for self-catering hosts in England still lists registration as "not yet in force"², so there is nothing to sign up for today.

What is still unknown

Propertymark notes that details are still needed on how the scheme will be run, what information providers must supply and how often they will need to register¹. Coverage of the announcement says hosts would register the property address and receive a unique reference number, which must then be displayed on every platform where the property is advertised³. Treat that as the expected design until the rules are published.

How the rest of the UK compares

Source for the table: Propertymark¹.

The rules that already apply

Registration is new, but the existing obligations for self-catering lets in England are not. The government's guidance points hosts to²:

• Planning permission: your local planning authority decides whether short-term letting needs permission, based on how the property is used and its impact on the area.
• Business rates: a property rated as a self-catering business may pay business rates instead of council tax.
• Fire safety: separate guidance covers small paying guest accommodation and larger or more complex properties.
• Gas and carbon monoxide safety duties, as for other lets.

What to do before March 2027

1. Build a clean property list. Full addresses, ownership or lease details, and which platforms each unit is listed on. A register will ask for this, and you will want it in one place.
2. Get your compliance papers together. Fire risk assessments, gas safety records and any planning decisions. Many registration schemes ask hosts to confirm safety compliance.
3. Plan for reference numbers on every listing. If the number has to appear on each platform, you will need a way to add it across Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and your direct booking site at once.
4. Watch for the consultation response and secondary legislation. That is where the real requirements will be set.

If you build software for UK operators

A register creates a new field that has to flow through property management systems, channel managers and booking sites: a registration number per unit, possibly with an expiry or renewal date. Tools that track compliance documents per property, or check that every listing shows the right number, are likely to be in demand.

Sources

1. Propertymark: National short-term lets register promised by March 2027 (4 September 2026)
2. GOV.UK: Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England (last updated 15 May 2026)
3. Property118: Government confirms plans to regulate short-term lets (9 September 2026)

Last checked 24 September 2026. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.