Short-term let rules in Exeter (updated 6 Nov 2026)
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Dates we're watching for Exeter (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 Exeter in our log (last checked 6 Nov 2026). Get free alerts for Exeter so you hear when that changes, plus changes that apply across England.
100% second homes council tax premium from 1 Apr 2025 (double bill). No short-let licence; England register expected Mar 2027. No Article 4 for holiday lets (HMO Article 4 only); Local Plan First Review Policy TM2 covers small self-catering in residential areas.
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: the national planning data register lists 16 for Exeter City Council, covering named sites (including telecommunications and demolition directions) and Houses in Multiple Occupation (a city direction that ended on 23 Dec 2024, replaced by the 2023 Article 4 Direction for change of use from C3 dwellinghouses to C4 HMOs in force from 23 Dec 2024), none about holiday lets (checked 6 Nov 2026).
Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case. The adopted Local Plan is the Core Strategy (adopted 21 Feb 2012) and the Exeter Local Plan First Review (2005).
Local Plan First Review Policy TM2 permits small hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation in residential areas where amenity is protected and facilities are for staying guests unless amenity can still be maintained; Policy TM1 steers larger hotel development to the City Centre and Quayside.
The council is preparing the Exeter Plan (2021-2041) to replace both; until it is adopted the current Local Plan stays in force.
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 Exeter charges a 100% premium on second homes (furnished properties that are nobody's main home), so the bill doubles.
The council's Council Tax Premiums page (last updated 7 Oct 2026) says so, and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy 2024-25 confirms the maximum 100% premium. 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).
Apply online with the council's premium exception form; exceptions will not be considered without an application. If you are contractually required to live elsewhere for your job you may be eligible for a 50% discount (provide your employment contract via the council's online enquiry form).
Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (more than 10 years); a change of owner does not restart the empty period. Empty-home exceptions also include major repairs or structural alterations (up to 12 months).
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 source
Compare second homes council tax premiums across UK councils
What changed in Exeter
- 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
- 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 Exeter: 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
- 2005: Exeter Local Plan First Review adopted (Policies TM1 and TM2 on tourist accommodation)
- 21 Feb 2012: Core Strategy adopted
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- 23 Dec 2024: current HMO Article 4 Direction in force
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Exeter short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Exeter?
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 Exeter?
No short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets: the national planning data register lists 16 for Exeter City Council, covering named sites (including telecommunications and demolition directions) and Houses in Multiple Occupation (a city direction that ended on 23 Dec 2024, replaced by the 2023 Article 4 Direction for change of use from C3 dwellinghouses to C4 HMOs in force from 23 Dec 2024), none about holiday lets (checked 6 Nov 2026). Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case. The adopted Local Plan is the Core Strategy (adopted 21 Feb 2012) and the Exeter Local Plan First Review (2005). Local Plan First Review Policy TM2 permits small hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation in residential areas where amenity is protected and facilities are for staying guests unless amenity can still be maintained; Policy TM1 steers larger hotel development to the City Centre and Quayside. The council is preparing the Exeter Plan (2021-2041) to replace both; until it is adopted the current Local Plan stays in force.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Exeter?
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 Exeter?
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Exeter charges a 100% premium on second homes (furnished properties that are nobody's main home), so the bill doubles. The council's Council Tax Premiums page (last updated 7 Oct 2026) says so, and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy 2024-25 confirms the maximum 100% premium. 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). Apply online with the council's premium exception form; exceptions will not be considered without an application. If you are contractually required to live elsewhere for your job you may be eligible for a 50% discount (provide your employment contract via the council's online enquiry form). Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (more than 10 years); a change of owner does not restart the empty period. Empty-home exceptions also include major repairs or structural alterations (up to 12 months). 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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