Airbnb rules in Brighton and Hove: what owners need to know

Yes, you can run an Airbnb in Brighton and Hove. There is no licence and no cap on nights. The rule that catches owners out is planning: letting a whole home to guests all year can count as a change of use, and the council decides that case by case.

This guide covers the rules that apply today, what the council is pushing for, and what to check before your first guest arrives.

Do you need planning permission for an Airbnb in Brighton?

Sometimes. The council says you might need planning permission to use a home as a short-term holiday let, and that the answer depends on how much the use of the property changes.

A spare room let now and then while you live there is a small change. A flat let to a new group of guests every few nights, with nobody living there, is a much bigger one. The more your home runs like a small hotel, the more likely the council sees a "material change of use", which is the planning term for a change big enough to need permission.

If you want certainty, the council suggests taking legal advice or applying for a Certificate of Lawful Use (Proposed Development). This is a formal, legally binding answer from the council on whether your plan needs permission.

Why does the council refuse planning for short lets?

Brighton and Hove is short of homes, and the council says so plainly. Its own guidance says short-term lets mean fewer options for people who need permanent housing, add pressure on parking and can disturb neighbours late at night.

That thinking shows up in planning decisions. In one appeal about a Brighton flat, a government planning inspector treated the loss of a home under the city's Policy DM2 as a significant issue. Policy DM2 is the local plan policy that protects existing homes from being lost to other uses.

If you are buying a flat to run as a full-time short let, check the planning position before you exchange, not after.

Is there a licence or a night limit in Brighton?

London caps whole-home lets at 90 nights a year without permission. Brighton has no such cap. The council also confirms that housing licensing cannot be applied to short-term holiday lets, because licensing for shared houses only covers people living there as their main home.

That could change. In 2025 councillors backed recommendations to lobby the government for new powers, including a licensing scheme where operators would prove each property meets health and safety standards. By March 2026 the council reported that a licensing scheme has not been introduced.

What is the council planning next?

The council's March 2026 update shows where things are heading. Planning officers have commissioned a Visitor Accommodation Study for City Plan 2041, the next long-term plan for the city. Councillors asked officers to look at zones where short lets would be allowed or restricted, and at planning conditions stopping new flats from being used as full-time short lets.

The council also wants to take part early in the national short-let register. Nobody knows the exact number of short lets in the city today. An earlier council report put the estimate at 4,000 to 5,000, and the council says it wants better data before it acts.

For owners, the message is simple. Rules in Brighton are more likely to tighten than relax, so a home that is set up properly now is in a stronger position later.

What fire safety rules apply?

Fire safety is where the law is already strict. The council's page explains that East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service expects every short let to have a fire risk assessment. This is a written check of fire risks in the home and what you do about them. If the service judges a property unsafe to sleep in, it can serve a prohibition notice, which stops you letting it.

For homes with no more than 10 guests or 2 floors, follow the government's guide on making small paying guest accommodation safe from fire. Larger homes follow the fuller guidance listed on GOV.UK's page for self-catering lets, which also covers gas safety, electrical safety, EPCs and insurance.

Do you need to register your Brighton short let?

England is building a national register of short-term lets. GOV.UK says the scheme is not yet in force as of September 2026. When it opens, you will need to register your Brighton home and show the number on your listings. We explain what is known so far in our guide to the new short-let register for England.

What should you check before your first guest?

• Check planning. If the home will be let full time, get advice or apply for a lawful use certificate.
• Read your lease if it is a flat. Many leases limit business use or short stays.
• Ask your mortgage lender and insurer for written consent to short lets.
• Complete a fire risk assessment and fit the alarms it calls for.
• Plan for neighbours: clear house rules, quiet hours and a local contact who answers the phone.

Money matters too. Brighton charges extra council tax on second homes, which changes the sums for many owners. We break down the numbers in council tax, business rates and tax on Brighton short lets.

Can we check the rules for your address?

Every building is different, and a flat in a mansion block in Hove faces different questions from a house in Kemptown. Our Brighton short-let management team checks planning, lease and safety with you before your home goes live. Start with a free valuation and we will tell you what your home could earn and what needs sorting first.

Get my free valuation

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. It is our own interpretation of the rules and figures as they stand on the date shown above, and they can change. Speak to a qualified solicitor or accountant before you act on anything here.