Short-term let rules in Portsmouth (updated 6 Nov 2026)
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Dates we're watching for Portsmouth (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 £18,000 rateable value, tapering to £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 Portsmouth in our log (last checked 6 Nov 2026). Get free alerts for Portsmouth so you hear when that changes, plus changes that apply across England.
100% second homes council tax premium from 1 Apr 2025 (double bill); Full Council agreed 13 Feb 2024. Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year since 1 Apr 2024 (100%/200%/300% at 1–5/5–10/10+ years). No short-let licence; England register expected Mar 2027. No Article 4 for holiday lets (planning.data lists none for Portsmouth City Council). The Portsmouth Plan (adopted 2012) supports tourist-related facilities including hotels linked to the waterfront and maritime heritage.
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 none for Portsmouth City Council (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 Portsmouth Plan (adopted 2012), the principal planning policy document for the city. It supports tourist-related facilities, including hotels, linked to the city's waterfront and maritime heritage, and encourages supporting uses such as hotels as part of city-centre growth; it does not set a separate holiday-let or self-catering policy for residential areas.
A newer Local Plan is still at pre-submission stage and is not yet adopted.
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 Portsmouth charges a 100% premium on second homes (substantially furnished dwellings that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles.
Full Council agreed it on 13 Feb 2024 (Cabinet minute 19). 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 also lists Class E (armed forces accommodation) with the shared empty/second-home exceptions, and Class M (empty homes needing major repairs, up to 12 months). Read the council's exceptions page and its second homes and empty properties policy PDF for the latest wording.
Empty and substantially unfurnished homes have paid a premium after 1 year since 1 Apr 2024: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (10 years or more). There is no empty discount — full council tax is due from the first day a home is empty and unfurnished, including when it needs major repair.
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 £15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Source: source source source source source source
Compare second homes council tax premiums across UK councils
What changed in Portsmouth
- 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 £18,000 rateable value, tapering to £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 Portsmouth: 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
- 2012: Portsmouth Plan adopted
- 13 Feb 2024: Full Council agreed the second homes premium and empty premium after 1 year
- 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)
Portsmouth short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Portsmouth?
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 Portsmouth?
No short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets: the national planning data register lists none for Portsmouth City Council (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 Portsmouth Plan (adopted 2012), the principal planning policy document for the city. It supports tourist-related facilities, including hotels, linked to the city's waterfront and maritime heritage, and encourages supporting uses such as hotels as part of city-centre growth; it does not set a separate holiday-let or self-catering policy for residential areas. A newer Local Plan is still at pre-submission stage and is not yet adopted.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Portsmouth?
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 Portsmouth?
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Portsmouth charges a 100% premium on second homes (substantially furnished dwellings that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles. Full Council agreed it on 13 Feb 2024 (Cabinet minute 19). 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 also lists Class E (armed forces accommodation) with the shared empty/second-home exceptions, and Class M (empty homes needing major repairs, up to 12 months). Read the council's exceptions page and its second homes and empty properties policy PDF for the latest wording. Empty and substantially unfurnished homes have paid a premium after 1 year since 1 Apr 2024: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (10 years or more). There is no empty discount — full council tax is due from the first day a home is empty and unfurnished, including when it needs major repair. 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 £15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
More council pages in England
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