UK Agency Warns Holiday-Let Tax Shift Could Wipe Out Profit
Modelling from holiday-cottage agency Finest Retreats finds that reclassifying qualifying holiday lets as second homes could cut the average managed property's annual profit by 96 percent.
UK Vacation Rental News
Conwy and Anglesey Drop Visitor Levy, Gwynedd Delays
Two North Wales councils have ruled out a tourist tax for now, while Gwynedd has pushed its decision back to work through consultation responses.
Scottish Council Faces Calls to Correct Rental License Letters
A trade body representing Scotland's self-catering operators wants Argyll and Bute Council to apologize for and fix short-term let licensing correspondence it says misled hosts about their obligations.
UK Holiday Let Hosts Fight Being Taxed as Second Homes
Owners who run holiday lets as a business say a 70-night letting rule and council tax premiums of up to 100% are treating them like absentee second-home owners.
Lake District Approves Flexible Holiday Let, Adds Local-Occupancy Catch
Planners in the Lake District National Park have approved a holiday letting property for dual use as a short-term rental or private home, but only if any resident meets a local occupancy test.
Sykes Cottages Sees September Bookings Rise 3% as UK Season Stretches
Sykes Holiday Cottages says its September 2025 bookings ran 3% ahead of last year, as domestic breaks push further into the shoulder season.
UK Holiday Let Owners Report Profit Gains After Tax Overhaul
A survey of holiday let owners finds close to half say profits rose in the months after April's tax changes stripped away reliefs unique to furnished holiday lets.
Scotland's Rental Hosts Win Cross-Party Ear at Holyrood
Self-catering operators and hospitality trade groups shared a platform with MSPs from every major party to press for relief on licensing costs, rates and the coming visitor levy.
England Moves to Let Mayors Set Uncapped Visitor Levy
Legislation expected before Parliament within months would let regional mayors charge hotels, holiday rentals and Airbnb-style stays a nightly fee with no statutory ceiling.
Holiday Let Mortgage Enquiries Climb Even as UK Tax Perks Vanish
Cumberland Building Society reports rising demand for holiday let mortgages even after the tax break that made the sector attractive was scrapped and licensing rules tightened across Scotland and Wales.
North Berwick Residents Push Council to Rein In Holiday Lets
Homeowners in the East Lothian seaside town want the local council to curb the spread of cottages converted into short-term rentals.
Glasgow Draft Plan Could Block New Short-Term Let Listings
Scotland's self-catering trade body says Glasgow's next City Development Plan would treat short-term lets as an unacceptable land use across most of the city, adding a planning hurdle on top of the national licensing scheme already in force.
UK Holiday Let Owners Face Last Chance to Claim Tax Breaks
The furnished holiday letting tax regime ended on April 6, 2025, and owners have until January 31 to claim its benefits one final time on last year's return.
UK Brokers Report Surge in Holiday Let Mortgage Demand
A broker poll finds 88% have seen more inquiries for holiday let mortgages, even as the tax break that made the sector attractive disappears this year.
Perth and Kinross Opens Consultation on Tourist Tax
Perth and Kinross Council is asking residents and operators whether to introduce a visitor levy on overnight stays, following Edinburgh's lead under Scotland's 2024 tourism tax law.
Hanley Economic Building Society Adds Holiday Let Mortgages
The Stoke-on-Trent mutual now writes mortgages for holiday let purchases, giving owners another lender to shop against as the tax breaks that once favored the sector have disappeared.
Trade Group Urges Highland Council to Halt Let Zone Expansion
An industry body representing Scotland's self-catering operators wants Highland Council to pause plans to widen its short-term let control area before assessing the impact of rules already in force.
East Lothian Council to Rule Again on New Holiday Let Homes
East Lothian councillors are set to reconsider a resubmitted planning application for new-build holiday let homes, a decision that will test how the council treats short-term rental development after an earlier version of the scheme stalled.
Argyll and Bute Weighs Visitor Levy, Hosts Warn of Fallout
Scotland's self-catering trade body has told Argyll and Bute Council that a new overnight charge could hit rural hosts already absorbing steep licensing costs and falling bookings.
'Shark House' Owner Presses Council to Reverse Airbnb Ban
The owner of a Greater Manchester property known locally as the shark house is asking the council to lift a ban on letting it out as a short-term rental, a dispute that turns on planning law rather than any licensing scheme.