Starting out
Home dog boarding in England: what the licence involves
By the Trusthound team · · 7 min read
If you look after other people's dogs overnight in your own home in England, and you do it as a business, you'll usually need an animal activity licence from your local council. The council inspects your home against Defra's statutory guidance for home boarding, then gives you a star rating from 1 to 5 and a licence lasting between one and three years. Most of what inspectors check comes down to safe rooms, sensible dog numbers, enough people, and good records.
This is a practical overview, not legal advice. The guidance changes from time to time (it was last updated on 1 June 2026), so check with your council's licensing team before you apply.
Do I need a licence to board dogs in my home?
Usually yes, if you're running it as a business. Home boarding is licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which cover "providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs". That one activity has three separate sets of guidance: kennels, home boarding and dog day care.
To decide whether you're a business, councils look at whether you make a profit or earn a fee, and at HMRC's "badges of trade". The guidance says that if your trading income is below HMRC's trading allowance (currently £1,000 a year), you don't need a licence. Earning more than that doesn't automatically make you a business either, so ask your council if you're borderline.
Some things are outside home boarding licensing:
- Dog sitting in the owner's home. Looking after a dog where it normally lives doesn't need this licence.
- Dog walking on its own. Walking isn't a licensable activity in England, although local rules may still apply.
- Day care in non-domestic premises. That's covered by the separate dog day care guidance.
If you work through a franchise or a business that arranges home boarding, the arranging business is in scope too, and every home it uses has to meet the conditions.
How do I apply?
You apply to your district or borough council. It appoints a qualified inspector to visit your home, reviews their report, then decides whether to grant the licence. If it's refused, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.
Fees are set locally. Councils must set "fair and reasonable" fees, which can cover the application, inspections and compliance checks, so they vary. Check your council's website.
What does the inspector look at?
Inspectors check you against the general conditions that apply to every licensed activity, plus the specific conditions for home boarding. Some of the points that most often matter in a family home:
| Area | What the guidance expects (summary) |
|---|---|
| Dog numbers | Your licence states the maximum number of dogs you can board. Your own dogs count towards what you can reasonably look after. |
| Mixing households | Dogs from different households can only be boarded together with the written consent of every owner. |
| Rooms | Each dog, or group from the same household, needs its own designated room with a full-height door and a secure, restricted window. Not a garage, conservatory, loft or outbuilding unless converted to living standard. |
| Security | At least two secure barriers between any dog and an exit, and a private, secure outdoor area (a balcony doesn't count). |
| Children | No dog boarded in a bedroom whose usual occupant is under 16, and procedures for how children and dogs interact. |
| Time alone | Dogs must not routinely be left alone for more than 3 hours in 24, and not crated for more than 3 hours in 24. |
| Exercise | At least one walk a day, and no more than 6 dogs walked at the same time, with the owner's written consent to walk their dog with others. |
| Health | Current vaccinations against parvovirus, distemper, infectious hepatitis and leptospirosis, with a vet record seen. Kennel cough vaccination "may be required". |
| Emergencies | A written emergency plan, working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a dog first aid kit, and a key holder within about 30 minutes. |
| Introductions | A documented trial session so dogs get used to each other, including your own dogs, before boarding. |
The full list is longer, so read the home boarding guidance end to end before your inspection.
How do star ratings work?
Your star rating combines two things: how well you meet the standards, and whether you're judged lower or higher risk (partly based on your compliance history). The licensing process guidance sets it out like this:
| Minor failings | Minimum standards | Higher standards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk | 1 star, 1-year licence | 3 stars, 2-year licence | 5 stars, 3-year licence |
| Higher risk | 1 star, 1-year licence | 2 stars, 1-year licence | 4 stars, 2-year licence |
Each band also comes with at least one unannounced visit during the licence. Longer licences usually cost less overall, which is one practical reason to aim for the higher standards.
To meet the higher standards for home boarding, you need all of the required higher standards and at least half of the optional ones. The required ones include at least one full-time member of staff per 8 dogs, two walks a day of at least 20 minutes each, and an overnight trial stay before any stay longer than 3 nights.
If you think your rating doesn't reflect your standards on the day, you can appeal, but you need to do it within 21 days of the licence being issued. If you've since made improvements, you can ask for a reinspection instead.
What records do I need to keep?
You need a register covering every dog you board, including:
- arrival and departure dates
- name, age, sex, neuter status, microchip number and breed or description
- which household each dog belongs to
- owner and emergency contacts, including a local emergency contact
- the dog's usual vet and any insurance details
- medical and behavioural history, diet and any exercise restrictions
- vaccination, worming and flea treatment dates, and any current treatment
- signed consent forms
The general conditions say: "The licence holder must keep all such records for at least 3 years beginning with the date on which the record was created." Electronic records are fine, but they must be backed up and you must be able to show them to an inspector in a readable form. You'll also need records of staff training and a written training policy reviewed every year.
Our guide to daily records for dog day care covers the day-to-day side, much of which applies to home boarding too.
What are the staffing rules?
The home boarding guidance says each member of staff should have 10 dogs or fewer to care for. In practice your licence will often set a much lower maximum, because it's based on your rooms, garden and household. For comparison, the kennel guidance allows up to 25 dogs per member of staff, which shows how differently the two settings are treated.
You also need at least one competent person who can step in if you're away for a long period, and anyone over 16 in your household who helps care for the dogs must be competent to handle them.
What about Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The 2018 Regulations only apply in England.
- Wales. Boarding is still licensed under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963. The Welsh Government has consulted on new licensing that could cover home boarding, day care and dog walking, and in June 2025 it chose a phased approach. No new regulations were in force when we checked.
- Scotland. The 2021 licensing regulations don't cover boarding, so it's still under the 1963 Act. A 2023 consultation proposed bringing it into the newer system.
- Northern Ireland. Boarding establishments are licensed by DAERA, not councils. Licences are renewed every year, and DAERA may inspect before and after granting one.
Outside England, check with your council (or DAERA in Northern Ireland) what applies to boarding in your home.
A quick checklist before you apply
- Read the home boarding guidance and the general conditions in full.
- Decide your realistic maximum number of dogs, counting your own.
- Set up a designated room for each dog or household.
- Check your doors, gates, windows and garden for escape routes.
- Write your emergency plan and line up a key holder within 30 minutes.
- Prepare your register, consent forms and a vaccination policy.
- Write a training policy, even if it's just you.
- Get suitable insurance. The guidance doesn't require it, but most boarders hold it.
Our dog business startup checklist can help you work through the rest.
How Trusthound helps
Trusthound's dog boarding software handles bookings, card and Direct Debit payments, and daily care records using templates based on the licensing rules for each UK nation. It tracks vaccination expiry dates and sends reminders, lets you send owners photo updates, and exports an inspection pack PDF for any date range. It can make your records easier to keep and show, but the licence and star rating are always your council's decision.
Sources
- Home boarding for dogs licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities (Defra, GOV.UK)
- Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities (Defra, GOV.UK)
- Dog kennel boarding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities (Defra, GOV.UK)
- The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Tax-free allowances on property and trading income (HMRC, GOV.UK)
- Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Licensing of animal welfare establishments, activities and exhibits: Welsh Government response, June 2025
- Licensing activities involving animals: consultation document (Scottish Government)
- Animal boarding establishment licence: Northern Ireland (GOV.UK)
Checked 20 October 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules vary between areas and change over time, so check with your local authority or an adviser.