When you are considering doing a small landscaping project on your property, you may be wondering if you need planning permission for holiday let. Landscaping ponds are very popular, but they do require planning permission. You need to check with the local council in order to find out what planning regulations apply to your circumstances. There is always the option of asking a neighbour or landowner to provide you with planning permission, but it isn’t easy to secure that. It’s best to apply for planning permission ahead of time so that you have the peace of mind that your plans for landscaping ponds will not be disapproved by the local council.
In most instances, no, planning permission isn’t required for short-term holiday lets. But if you do not own the outright leasehold, it’s wise to look into whether there are any covenants in your deed or in the terms of your lease. You may well find that you cannot build a pond on the land without planning permission. A neighbour or owner could also appeal to the court to stop you, which could result in you having to remove the water pond (or pay compensation) if the appeal is successful.
It may also be possible to get planning permission for short-term lets if you make the owners of your guests buildings “aware” of your intention to set up a pond on their land. For example, if you intend to build a log burner on their land, make sure you tell them so. If they object, then you will have to remove the wood piles, dig the hole for the log burner, and set it in place before building the pond. Planning to do this is not a legal requirement – you would not need planning permission for a fence around your garden either.
Another popular need for planning permission for holiday lets is to allow pets. While many landlords do not allow pets at all, some do allow pets inside the garden area on certain days of the year, with some limits such as those stipulated by the local authority. Some allow only one pet, while others may allow you to keep more pets. Again, check with your landlord, as some local authorities prohibit pets altogether.
If you intend to sell your holiday lets, it’s wise to find out whether you need planning permission before you carry out anything. First, visit your local council’s planning department, or their parks and environment department. If you’re going to use social media to advertise your property, make sure you inform your guests of this. Don’t just presume that they will know – tell them. Don’t just read later that you’ve been “dropped in by Facebook and Twitter” to let your friends know – it may backfire if you’ve forgotten to tell them.
There are other issues to be considered when you’re planning short-term lets. Do you have security arrangements in place? Make sure you get planning permission from your tenants before letting them in. You should also have arranged to pay a certain sum at the beginning of each tenancy to cover any security deposits, such as those for stolen goods.
Most holiday letters are sold through online booking systems, but some can be bookings directly from your property. Whether you do bookings via the internet or directly, you must take care to ensure your guests are able to reach your property. Postpone bookings until you have received approval from your tenants. In addition, postpone bookings for bank holidays, public holidays and days when your property is empty. If you book online, check to see if your booking includes a contact number for your tenants.
You will need planning permission for social media if you use it to promote your holiday lets. It seems sensible that you should allow your potential tenants and guests to browse your website and view photos of your property before you publish any pictures on social media, but this isn’t always the case. Social media companies often have terms and conditions about who can use their sites and what sort of publicity you can give them. Many are very careful not to breach these and use a variety of tactics to make sure that they stay in business. So read ahead and work out whether your particular methods of promotion might breach any of their rules.