The government will have a national register of short-term and holiday lets in England fully operational by March 2027.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy announced the timetable in response to questions in Parliament.
Ministers expect the register to operate primarily online and become mandatory. However, the government has yet to confirm several details about the system.
These include what information property owners and operators must provide. Ministers must also decide how often providers need to register and who will administer the scheme.
The register will give councils more information about short-term lets in their areas. This will include details about their number and location.
Ministers expect the data to help councils assess the impact on local housing markets. It should also help them enforce existing health and safety requirements.
Scotland and Northern Ireland already operate registration or licensing systems for short-term accommodation. Wales will introduce a visitor accommodation register in October 2026.
The growth of short-term lets has raised concerns about housing supply. In some areas, critics argue that they reduce the number of homes available for long-term rent.
Propertymark has previously called for greater parity between short-term lets and the private rented sector. However, it believes regulation should reflect conditions within individual housing markets.
The industry body said: “STLs can support tourism and give owners flexibility, but local authorities need effective tools to respond where high numbers reduce the availability of homes for local people.
“Our research has found that increasing the supply of private and social housing is the main solution to pressures linked to STLs.
“However, our members also support proportionate regulation that creates greater parity with the private rented sector, including effective local controls and appropriate standards.”
Propertymark has also argued that councils should have flexibility over how the system operates locally.
It responded to a government consultation on the issue in 2023. At the time, it opposed additional measures where short-term lets had no demonstrable impact on private rental supply.
It added: “A balance must be struck between the tourism industry and housing needs, with local councils best placed to run the schemes and decide if they are necessary for their area.
“Plus, sufficient resources must be provided to prevent a scheme from being used to plug historic funding gaps.”
