Short-term let rules in Teignbridge (updated 29 Oct 2026)
Last checked: 13 official source pages for this council scanned automatically for changes on 2 Nov 2026What changed
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Dates we're watching for Teignbridge (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, with national exceptions. 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 26 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.
Part of the district is in Dartmoor National Park. Check before converting a home or outbuilding.
The national planning data register has no Article 4 directions published for Teignbridge District Council or Dartmoor National Park Authority (checked 26 Oct 2026). Outside the National Park, the Teignbridge Local Plan 2020-2040 (adopted by Full Council on 19 May 2026) requires all new-build homes in Bishopsteignton, Dawlish, Shaldon, Stokeinteignhead and Teignmouth to be occupied as a primary residence, secured by a legally enforceable mechanism such as a planning condition, so they cannot be used as second homes or short-term holiday lets.
It does not apply to existing homes. The plan says there are over 1,600 known second homes and self-catering units in Teignbridge.
Dartmoor National Park Authority handles planning inside the National Park. Its Local Plan (adopted December 2021, Policy 5.5) only allows new short-stay holiday accommodation in villages, hamlets and open countryside through conversion of suitable buildings close to tourist services, and puts conditions on new holiday lets so they are used for holidays only (not as anyone's main home) and the owner keeps a register of guests' names and home addresses.
The Dartmoor plan chose not to require principal residence conditions on new homes.
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 27 Feb 2024 Full Council unanimously resolved to charge a 100% premium on homes that are unoccupied but substantially furnished from 1 Apr 2025, so second homes (including homes with a planning restriction on occupation, unless an exception applies) pay 200%.
The council's page (updated 6 Oct 2026) still says the premium applies, and a Sep 2026 scrutiny review found premiums were charged on about 81.7% of the 891 furnished empty homes at 30 Jun 2026, with more charged after 1 Apr 2026 as 12-month exceptions ran out.
The council said it will bring a report to Full Council to review and reaffirm the decision. 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).
Teignbridge has no extra local exceptions. Apply for an exception online with your council tax reference; to show a home is someone's main home the council may ask for utility bills, driving licence, vehicle or home insurance documents.
If you struggle to pay, you can ask for a discretionary reduction (section 13A) or a payment arrangement. Empty and unfurnished homes pay 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).
The 50% discount for homes needing major repairs ended on 31 Mar 2026, but the national major-works exception (Class M, up to 12 months) still stops the premium. 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 Teignbridge
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- Added council pages for West Devon (Tavistock and Okehampton) and Teignbridge (Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Dawlish). Both charge a 100% second homes council tax premium, so 200% council tax, from 1 Apr 2025, and still in 2026/27. Holiday lets valued for business rates instead do not pay it. Neither has a short-let licence or an Article 4 direction on holiday lets; Teignbridge's new Local Plan requires new-build homes in five coastal parishes to be primary residences, and Dartmoor National Park conditions new holiday lets to holiday use only. 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 Teignbridge: 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
- 27 Feb 2024: Full Council approved the second homes premium
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
- 19 May 2026: Local Plan 2020-2040 adopted (primary residence rule for new homes in 5 coastal parishes)
Teignbridge short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Teignbridge?
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 Teignbridge?
No short-let control area or Article 4 direction for holiday lets found (searched 26 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. Part of the district is in Dartmoor National Park. Check before converting a home or outbuilding. The national planning data register has no Article 4 directions published for Teignbridge District Council or Dartmoor National Park Authority (checked 26 Oct 2026). Outside the National Park, the Teignbridge Local Plan 2020-2040 (adopted by Full Council on 19 May 2026) requires all new-build homes in Bishopsteignton, Dawlish, Shaldon, Stokeinteignhead and Teignmouth to be occupied as a primary residence, secured by a legally enforceable mechanism such as a planning condition, so they cannot be used as second homes or short-term holiday lets. It does not apply to existing homes. The plan says there are over 1,600 known second homes and self-catering units in Teignbridge. Dartmoor National Park Authority handles planning inside the National Park. Its Local Plan (adopted December 2021, Policy 5.5) only allows new short-stay holiday accommodation in villages, hamlets and open countryside through conversion of suitable buildings close to tourist services, and puts conditions on new holiday lets so they are used for holidays only (not as anyone's main home) and the owner keeps a register of guests' names and home addresses. The Dartmoor plan chose not to require principal residence conditions on new homes.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Teignbridge?
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 Teignbridge?
No short-let fees. Council tax: on 27 Feb 2024 Full Council unanimously resolved to charge a 100% premium on homes that are unoccupied but substantially furnished from 1 Apr 2025, so second homes (including homes with a planning restriction on occupation, unless an exception applies) pay 200%. The council's page (updated 6 Oct 2026) still says the premium applies, and a Sep 2026 scrutiny review found premiums were charged on about 81.7% of the 891 furnished empty homes at 30 Jun 2026, with more charged after 1 Apr 2026 as 12-month exceptions ran out. The council said it will bring a report to Full Council to review and reaffirm the decision. 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). Teignbridge has no extra local exceptions. Apply for an exception online with your council tax reference; to show a home is someone's main home the council may ask for utility bills, driving licence, vehicle or home insurance documents. If you struggle to pay, you can ask for a discretionary reduction (section 13A) or a payment arrangement. Empty and unfurnished homes pay 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). The 50% discount for homes needing major repairs ended on 31 Mar 2026, but the national major-works exception (Class M, up to 12 months) still stops the premium. 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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