Short-term let rules in Somerset (updated 29 Oct 2026)
Last checked: 6 official source pages for this council scanned automatically for changes on 2 Nov 2026What changed
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Dates we're watching for Somerset (1)
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
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Last checked 29 Oct 2026: no change logged for this council in our changes log. Get free alerts when it changes.
100% council tax premium on second homes (200% bill) since 1 Apr 2025, including homes with a planning restriction on occupation unless an exception applies. Holiday lets that qualify for business rates (140 nights available, 70 let) pay business rates instead. No licensing or local registration scheme.
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 or Article 4 direction for holiday lets found (searched 24 Oct 2026). The C5 short-term let use class is still only a proposal in England, so whether letting a whole home is a material change of use is decided case by case by the planning authority.
Parts of Somerset are in Exmoor National Park, where the park authority handles planning. Check before converting a home or outbuilding.
Source: source
Visitor levy
None foundNo visitor levy. On 10 Sep 2026 the government announced that mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders in England will get the power to bring in an Overnight Visitor Levy, as a percentage of the accommodation price. A bill is still to come, so nothing applies yet.
Source: source
Fees
No short-let fees. Council tax: on 20 Dec 2023 Full Council reaffirmed its Nov 2022 decision to charge a 100% premium on second homes (furnished, nobody's sole or main home) from 1 Apr 2025, so 2 times the normal charge.
The council says this includes furnished homes with a planning restriction on occupation. 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).
Somerset also lists Class M (empty homes needing major repairs, 12 months). Where the council already knows an exception applies it is added automatically; otherwise contact the council with evidence.
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.
What changed in Somerset
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- Added council pages for East Suffolk and Somerset (100% second homes council tax premium since 1 April 2025; East Suffolk gives homes for sale up to 24 months' exception; no licensing scheme). 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
- 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 Somerset: 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
- 20 Dec 2023: Full Council confirmed the second homes premium
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Somerset short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Somerset?
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 Somerset?
No short-let control area or Article 4 direction for holiday lets found (searched 24 Oct 2026). The C5 short-term let use class is still only a proposal in England, so whether letting a whole home is a material change of use is decided case by case by the planning authority. Parts of Somerset are in Exmoor National Park, where the park authority handles planning. Check before converting a home or outbuilding.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Somerset?
No visitor levy. On 10 Sep 2026 the government announced that mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders in England will get the power to bring in an Overnight Visitor Levy, as a percentage of the accommodation price. A bill is still to come, so nothing applies yet.
What fees apply to short-term lets in Somerset?
No short-let fees. Council tax: on 20 Dec 2023 Full Council reaffirmed its Nov 2022 decision to charge a 100% premium on second homes (furnished, nobody's sole or main home) from 1 Apr 2025, so 2 times the normal charge. The council says this includes furnished homes with a planning restriction on occupation. 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). Somerset also lists Class M (empty homes needing major repairs, 12 months). Where the council already knows an exception applies it is added automatically; otherwise contact the council with evidence. 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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