"Losing a vast number of homes to short-term lets is a significant problem nationally and particularly in London"
- Jonny Christie - The Property Buying Company
Westminster City Council is investigating 2,712 properties for unlawful short-term letting in London, according to Freedom of Information data gathered by The Property Buying Company as of 30 March 2026.
The figures highlight the scale of enforcement pressure on councils as they attempt to police London's 90-night rule with limited tools at their disposal.
Under current legislation, London property owners can let their homes as short-term lets for a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year. Exceeding that limit without planning permission from the local council is unlawful. The rule was introduced to protect housing availability for Londoners and to address problems associated with short-term lets, including noise disturbance and waste management issues.
Westminster opened 499 new short-term letting investigations in 2025 for suspected breaches of the rule, up from 469 in 2024. Despite the volume of investigations, formal action has been limited.
Notices were issued to just 22 properties in 2025, with a further 36 in draft, compared with just 2 notices served in 2024. Enforcement is hampered by the difficulty of proving a breach has actually occurred, as councils currently have no reliable mechanism for tracking the number of nights a property is let.
The problem extends beyond Westminster. Tower Hamlets Borough Council investigated 24 properties in 2025, finding 8 in breach of the 90-night rule, while Hounslow Borough Council recorded 10 properties in breach over the same period.
A short-term let registration scheme is now in development, with secondary legislation set to go through parliament outlining how it will operate in practice.
Discussions are ongoing over whether the scheme will be rolled out gradually or introduced across England simultaneously, with a launch date expected to be confirmed this year. If the register includes a mechanism for tracking nightly usage, it would give councils the evidence needed to pursue enforcement action.
"Losing a vast number of homes to short-term lets is a significant problem nationally and particularly in London," said Jonny Christie, co-founder of The Property Buying Company.
"It's encouraging to see that discussions are in place to take steps to tackle the issue with a short-term let property register. A launch date for the registration scheme is expected to be announced this year, once the scheme has been finalised."
"If your property is registered as a residential home, where council tax applies, you can host short-term lets for up to 90 nights. If you exceed 90 nights, you must contact your local council to apply for planning permission to change your property's use to a holiday rental or serviced apartment."
