Short-term let rules in Torbay (updated 29 Oct 2026)
Last checked: 10 official source pages for this council scanned automatically for changes on 2 Nov 2026What changed
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- 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.
Check before converting a home or outbuilding. The national planning data register lists two Article 4 directions for Torbay, in the Churston (1998) and Polsham (2002) conservation areas.
They cover building works in those areas, not holiday-let use.
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: Full Council confirmed on 8 Dec 2022 that it intended to charge a premium on second homes, and on 5 Dec 2024 adopted a 100% premium from 1 Apr 2025, so homes that are furnished and nobody's main home pay 200%.
The 2026/27 council tax base still includes the premium. Torbay has no extra local exceptions, only the national ones.
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).
For Class L the council asks for a copy of the planning condition or the planning reference. Instead of extra exceptions, the council can give a discretionary reduction for exceptional personal circumstances; a June 2026 review report said only a couple of people had applied and none had been granted, and recommended keeping the premiums as they are.
Empty and unfurnished homes pay a 100% premium after 1 year (since 1 Apr 2024), 200% after 5 years and 300% after 10 years. 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. The same review said 16 homes that would have paid the premium moved to business rates in the past year, and that the Valuation Office Agency asks for significant evidence of lettings first.
What changed in Torbay
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- Added council pages for Torbay (Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) and Brighton & Hove. Both charge a 100% second homes council tax premium, so 200% council tax, from 1 Apr 2025. 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; Brighton & Hove says some short lets may need planning permission. 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 Torbay: 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
- 5 Dec 2024: Full Council adopted the second homes premium
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Torbay short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Torbay?
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 Torbay?
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. Check before converting a home or outbuilding. The national planning data register lists two Article 4 directions for Torbay, in the Churston (1998) and Polsham (2002) conservation areas. They cover building works in those areas, not holiday-let use.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Torbay?
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 Torbay?
No short-let fees. Council tax: Full Council confirmed on 8 Dec 2022 that it intended to charge a premium on second homes, and on 5 Dec 2024 adopted a 100% premium from 1 Apr 2025, so homes that are furnished and nobody's main home pay 200%. The 2026/27 council tax base still includes the premium. Torbay has no extra local exceptions, only the national ones. 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). For Class L the council asks for a copy of the planning condition or the planning reference. Instead of extra exceptions, the council can give a discretionary reduction for exceptional personal circumstances; a June 2026 review report said only a couple of people had applied and none had been granted, and recommended keeping the premiums as they are. Empty and unfurnished homes pay a 100% premium after 1 year (since 1 Apr 2024), 200% after 5 years and 300% after 10 years. 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. The same review said 16 homes that would have paid the premium moved to business rates in the past year, and that the Valuation Office Agency asks for significant evidence of lettings first.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
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