Short-term let rules in Arun (updated 7 Nov 2026)
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Dates we're watching for Arun (1)
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
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Latest change for all England holiday lets (3 Nov 2026): Budget 2026 details confirmed: from 1 April 2027 the higher Small Business Rate Relief thresholds (100% relief up to 拢18,000 rateable value, tapering to 拢21,000) cover self-catering holiday lets that pay business rates, and mortgage interest relief rises to 24% from 6 April 2027 once Finance Bill 2026-27 passes. Source
No change specific to Arun in our log (last checked 7 Nov 2026). Get free alerts for Arun so you hear when that changes, plus changes that apply across England.
100% second homes council tax premium from 1 Apr 2025 (double bill); Policy and Finance Committee 7 Mar 2024 and Full Council 13 Mar 2024. Empty and unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year (100%/200%/300% at 1/5/10+ years). No short-let licence; England register expected Mar 2027. No Article 4 for holiday lets (HMO direction in River, Marine and Hotham wards only, from Jan 2023). Part of the district is in the South Downs National Park (park authority plans there). Arun Local Plan 2011-2031 (adopted 18 Jul 2018) Policy TOU DM1 supports visitor accommodation in accessible locations and resists losing existing visitor accommodation; no separate holiday-let policy.
Licensing or registration
None foundNo licensing or local registration scheme. A national short-term let register for England is coming under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; GOV.UK (updated 2 Oct 2026) says it is expected to begin in March 2027.
Until then, the main local rules are council tax or business rates, planning, and fire safety.
Source: source
Control area / planning
None foundNo short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets. Arun District Council's planning pages (checked 7 Nov 2026) describe one Article 4 direction, in force from January 2023, requiring planning permission to turn a home (C3) into a small house in multiple occupation (C4) in River ward (Littlehampton) and Marine and Hotham wards (Bognor Regis).
It is not about holiday lets. The national planning.data.gov.uk article-4-direction API returned HTTP 503 for Arun District Council (organisation_entity 29) on 7 Nov 2026, so the national register count could not be confirmed that day.
Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case. Part of the district is in the South Downs National Park, where the National Park Authority handles planning under the South Downs Local Plan (adopted July 2019).
Elsewhere, the Arun Local Plan 2011-2031 was adopted by Full Council on 18 Jul 2018. Policy TOU SP1 encourages sustainable tourism that protects the coast, rivers and estuaries, the coastal plain and access to the National Park, with Arundel as a focal point.
Policy TOU DM1 supports visitor attractions, facilities and accommodation in accessible locations (larger schemes generally in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis), and refuses a change of use that loses existing visitor accommodation (other than camping and caravan sites) unless the use is shown to be no longer needed; camping and caravan sites cannot change to other uses, including permanent homes, unless allocated in the Local Plan.
The Local Plan has no separate policy on turning existing homes into holiday lets.
Visitor levy
None foundNo visitor levy. On 4 Nov 2026 the government introduced the Visitor Levy Bill, which would let mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders charge an Overnight Visitor Levy as a percentage of the accommodation price. The Bill still has to pass Parliament, so nothing applies yet.
Source: source
Fees
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Arun charges a 100% premium on second homes (furnished homes that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles.
The change was approved by the Policy and Finance Committee on 7 Mar 2024 and Full Council on 13 Mar 2024, a year ahead as the law requires. The council's premiums page and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy 2026-27 say so, and the council notes that a main home outside the UK does not count as a UK main residence.
Exceptions (national rules from 1 Apr 2025) include: annexes treated as part of the main home (Class F); homes actively marketed for sale or let (Classes G and H, 12 months); probate (Class I, 12 months); job-related homes (Class J); occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings (Class K); and seasonal homes where year-round living is banned, or a planning condition limits use to holiday accommodation or stops anyone staying more than 28 days in a row (Class L).
The council's page explains each exception; email revenues.benefits@arun.gov.uk to ask for a marketed-for-sale-or-let exception (with evidence). A 50% discount can apply to job-related second homes.
Empty and unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year: 100% (over 1 year), 200% (over 5 years) and 300% (over 10 years). Holiday lets: the council says a let must first pay council tax, and you still pay the full council tax including the second home premium while the Valuation Office Agency considers moving it to business rates; a refund may follow if the VOA backdates the change.
If your holiday let meets the business rates test (available at least 140 nights and actually let at least 70 nights in the last 12 months, and you plan to offer 140 nights in the next 12), it is valued for business rates instead of council tax, so the premium does not apply.
A single let with a rateable value under 拢15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Source: source source source source
Compare second homes council tax premiums across UK councils
What changed in Arun
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- All England lets Confirmed two Budget 2026 details for holiday lets. The higher Small Business Rate Relief thresholds from 1 April 2027 (100% relief up to 拢18,000 rateable value, tapering to 拢21,000) cover self-catering holiday lets that pay business rates, because they use the retail, hospitality and leisure definition, which includes self-catering accommodation and holiday homes. And mortgage interest relief for let property is given at the property basic rate under Finance Act 2026, so it rises to 24% from 6 April 2027 once Finance Bill 2026-27 passes. Official source
Newest first. Every UK change is in the changes log. Nothing here is legal advice: check the official source before acting.
England guides
- Visitor Levy Bill: who accounts for and pays any levy
- England short-term let rules 2027 (register, C5 and levy)
- UK levy and licence deadline table
- Do I need planning permission for a holiday let in England?
- Holiday let fire safety in England: what you need and a checklist
- Second homes council tax premium: who pays, business rates and exceptions
- London: second homes premium by borough (33 councils)
- Business rates or council tax? Occupancy threshold tracker
- How holiday lets are taxed since the FHL regime ended
Not sure what applies to your let? Use the free licence checker: pick your nation, council and type of let for a plain-English answer with the official source.
Buying here? See the buyer checks for Arun: licence or registration, planning, visitor levy, business rates or council tax, plus the lender, insurance and title checks to make before you buy.
Key dates
- 18 Jul 2018: Arun Local Plan 2011-2031 adopted
- Jan 2023: HMO Article 4 (River, Marine and Hotham wards) in force
- 7 Mar 2024: Policy and Finance Committee approved the premiums
- 13 Mar 2024: Full Council approved the premiums
- 1 Apr 2024: empty homes premium after 1 year started
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Arun short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Arun?
No licensing or local registration scheme. A national short-term let register for England is coming under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; GOV.UK (updated 2 Oct 2026) says it is expected to begin in March 2027. Until then, the main local rules are council tax or business rates, planning, and fire safety.
Do I need planning permission for a short-term let in Arun?
No short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets. Arun District Council's planning pages (checked 7 Nov 2026) describe one Article 4 direction, in force from January 2023, requiring planning permission to turn a home (C3) into a small house in multiple occupation (C4) in River ward (Littlehampton) and Marine and Hotham wards (Bognor Regis). It is not about holiday lets. The national planning.data.gov.uk article-4-direction API returned HTTP 503 for Arun District Council (organisation_entity 29) on 7 Nov 2026, so the national register count could not be confirmed that day. Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case. Part of the district is in the South Downs National Park, where the National Park Authority handles planning under the South Downs Local Plan (adopted July 2019). Elsewhere, the Arun Local Plan 2011-2031 was adopted by Full Council on 18 Jul 2018. Policy TOU SP1 encourages sustainable tourism that protects the coast, rivers and estuaries, the coastal plain and access to the National Park, with Arundel as a focal point. Policy TOU DM1 supports visitor attractions, facilities and accommodation in accessible locations (larger schemes generally in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis), and refuses a change of use that loses existing visitor accommodation (other than camping and caravan sites) unless the use is shown to be no longer needed; camping and caravan sites cannot change to other uses, including permanent homes, unless allocated in the Local Plan. The Local Plan has no separate policy on turning existing homes into holiday lets.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Arun?
No visitor levy. On 4 Nov 2026 the government introduced the Visitor Levy Bill, which would let mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders charge an Overnight Visitor Levy as a percentage of the accommodation price. The Bill still has to pass Parliament, so nothing applies yet.
What fees apply to short-term lets in Arun?
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Arun charges a 100% premium on second homes (furnished homes that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles. The change was approved by the Policy and Finance Committee on 7 Mar 2024 and Full Council on 13 Mar 2024, a year ahead as the law requires. The council's premiums page and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy 2026-27 say so, and the council notes that a main home outside the UK does not count as a UK main residence. Exceptions (national rules from 1 Apr 2025) include: annexes treated as part of the main home (Class F); homes actively marketed for sale or let (Classes G and H, 12 months); probate (Class I, 12 months); job-related homes (Class J); occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings (Class K); and seasonal homes where year-round living is banned, or a planning condition limits use to holiday accommodation or stops anyone staying more than 28 days in a row (Class L). The council's page explains each exception; email revenues.benefits@arun.gov.uk to ask for a marketed-for-sale-or-let exception (with evidence). A 50% discount can apply to job-related second homes. Empty and unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year: 100% (over 1 year), 200% (over 5 years) and 300% (over 10 years). Holiday lets: the council says a let must first pay council tax, and you still pay the full council tax including the second home premium while the Valuation Office Agency considers moving it to business rates; a refund may follow if the VOA backdates the change. If your holiday let meets the business rates test (available at least 140 nights and actually let at least 70 nights in the last 12 months, and you plan to offer 140 nights in the next 12), it is valued for business rates instead of council tax, so the premium does not apply. A single let with a rateable value under 拢15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
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