Can I Airbnb my house if I have a mortgage? Consent to let explained

Yes, you can sometimes Airbnb a house that has a mortgage, but only if your lender allows it. Some UK residential lenders let you host a limited number of nights a year without asking. Go past that limit, and you usually need your lender's consent to let, or a different mortgage. Airbnb's own UK guidance tells hosts to check with their lender before hosting.

This guide explains what to look for in your mortgage, what some of the big lenders say, and what to do if you want to let more than your lender allows.

Does my mortgage allow Airbnb?

It depends on two things: the type of mortgage you have, and your lender's rules for that product.

• Residential mortgage. This is a mortgage for a home you live in. Many residential lenders treat letting as a change of use, so you need their agreement. Some allow a limited amount of holiday letting without separate consent.
• Buy-to-let mortgage. This is for letting to tenants. Some buy-to-let products don't allow holiday or short-term letting, so check the terms rather than assuming.
• Holiday let mortgage. This is a product designed for short stays. If the property will mainly be let to paying guests, this is usually the one lenders point you to.

Airbnb's UK responsible hosting page says: if your property has a mortgage or any other loan, check with the lender to make sure there aren't restrictions on subletting or hosting.

What some UK lenders say

Lenders don't all follow the same rule. Here is what five of them say on their own websites, checked on 2 November 2026. Rules change, so always check your own lender's current terms.

Even where a lender allows some nights without asking, there are usually strings attached:

• Metro Bank asks you to get prior approval from your buildings and contents insurers and, if the property is leasehold, to make sure your freeholder agrees.
• Cumberland says its allowance doesn't override any insurance, licensing, planning or freehold and leasehold requirements.
• Mpowered says guests should be on a licence agreement, not a tenancy, your buildings insurance must stay valid, and you must follow local rules.

What is consent to let?

Consent to let is your lender's permission to rent out your home while keeping your residential mortgage. It is usually meant to be temporary.

• Lloyds calls it consent to let or consent to lease. If it agrees, it adds 0.5% on top of your existing interest rate and agrees the letting for 12 months, with an annual check after that. Your mortgage must normally have been active for at least six months.
• HSBC offers consent to let on a temporary basis, usually for up to 27 months. It says that if you want to let more permanently, you need a buy-to-let mortgage instead.
• Cumberland says consent to let may suit you if, for example, you have moved in with a partner, are travelling for a long time, or are struggling to sell. It says it may not suit you if you bought the property as an investment or no longer plan to live in it.

Note that consent to let is often written with long-term tenants in mind. Lloyds' consent process, for example, talks about tenancies and says the rent must cover your monthly mortgage payments. If you want to host short stays, ask your lender directly whether its consent covers holiday letting through Airbnb.

What if I let without asking?

If your mortgage terms need consent and you don't get it, you could be in breach of those terms. Cumberland says letting without permission is a breach of its mortgage terms and could affect your mortgage and insurance.

Lloyds sets out what it does if you rent out your home without its agreement, or it reasonably believes you are:

• It charges an added rate on top of your interest rate, so your payments go up.
• It may charge extra interest or amounts backdated to when you were letting.
• You can't borrow any more on the mortgage.

In plain terms, the cost of not asking can be far higher than the cost of asking.

How to check your mortgage in 4 steps

1. Read your mortgage offer and conditions. Look for words like letting, subletting, holiday letting, short-term letting, consent to let and change of use.
2. Check your lender's website. Search for "consent to let" plus your lender's name. Many lenders publish their holiday letting limits, as in the table above.
3. Ask your lender in writing. Ask specifically whether you can let the property on Airbnb, for how many nights a year, and on what conditions. Keep the reply.
4. Check the other permissions. If your home is leasehold, read the lease and ask your freeholder or managing agent. Tell your buildings and contents insurers before you host. Our guides to holiday let insurance and whether Airbnb's AirCover replaces insurance explain what to ask.

What if I want to let on Airbnb all year?

Allowances of 90 nights or 16 weeks don't go far if you want to let a property most of the year. Cumberland says a holiday let of more than 90 occupied nights in 12 months may need a holiday let mortgage instead. HSBC says permanent letting needs a buy-to-let mortgage.

So if the plan is to run the property as a full-time short let, talk to your lender or a mortgage broker about switching product before you take bookings.

Letting more nights also brings other rules into play. In England, a holiday let available for at least 140 nights and actually let for at least 70 nights a year is assessed for business rates instead of council tax. Our guide to holiday let business rates explains the test in England and Wales.

Letting a room instead of the whole house

If you live in the home and want to let a spare room, your lender's rules still apply, so check them the same way. On tax, GOV.UK's Rent a Room Scheme lets you earn up to GBP 7,500 a year tax-free from letting furnished accommodation in your home, or GBP 3,750 if you share the income with someone else.

Is Airbnb worth it with a mortgage?

That depends on how many nights your lender allows, what your property could earn, and what it costs to run. If you are weighing it up against renting to a tenant, start with our comparison of Airbnb vs a long-term let.

How Occupaid can help

Occupaid manages Airbnb homes in Bristol, Bath and Cardiff. We don't give mortgage advice, but once you know what your lender allows, we can show you what your home could earn on Airbnb with a free proposal. There is no long-term lock-in.

Book a call and we'll talk it through.