Short-term let rules in Wealden (updated 3 Nov 2026)

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.

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No short-let control area or Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets (checked 3 Nov 2026). The national planning data register lists 87 Article 4 records for Wealden (some duplicated), almost all site-specific (farmland, woodland, plots and caravan sites, from 1959 onwards), plus one for the Rotherfield conservation area (2006); none is about holiday lets.

Whether letting a whole home as a holiday let is a material change of use is decided case by case. Part of the district is in the South Downs National Park, where the National Park Authority handles planning under the South Downs Local Plan (adopted July 2019).

Elsewhere the development plan is the Core Strategy Local Plan (February 2013), saved 1998 Local Plan policies, the Affordable Housing Delivery Local Plan (2016) and neighbourhood plans such as Herstmonceux (2019) and Hailsham (2021).

A new Wealden Local Plan to 2042 is at its final stage: representations on the Proposed Submission version closed on 2 Nov 2026, the council intends to submit it for examination before the end of 2026, with examination expected in 2027 and adoption aimed for by the end of 2027.

We have not yet checked the draft for holiday-let policies (unverified), and it is not in force.

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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.

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No short-let fees. Council tax: Cabinet recommended the Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy on 7 Feb 2024 and the council agreed it on 21 Feb 2024.

Second homes (furnished homes that are nobody's sole or main residence) pay a 100% premium on top of the standard charge from 1 Apr 2025, so 200% council tax. 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 lists the national exception classes and asks for evidence (for example an agent's letter and a live listing for a home marketed for sale or let); contact localtax@wealden.gov.uk. Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (over 10 years); a change of owner does not reset the clock.

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.

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