England only
This guide covers England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. The conditions come from the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and DEFRA’s statutory guidance for council inspectors. Some figures below, such as room temperatures, come from that guidance rather than the regulation text, and councils can use their own checklists.
The short version
- You need a licence from your local council if you board other people’s dogs in your home, or run dog day care, as a business.
- The Regulations set the conditions. DEFRA’s guidance tells inspectors how to judge them and sets higher standards for better ratings.
- The council gives a star rating from 1 to 5 and a licence of 1 to 3 years.
- You must keep records, including a register for every dog, for at least 3 years.
Who needs a licence
Home boarding means housing other people’s dogs, for days or overnight, in a home that is not the dogs’ usual home. Day care means daytime housing at a fixed premises, with no overnight stays. DEFRA says day care run from your own home is licensed as home boarding.
Both need a licence if carried out as a business. DEFRA’s test is whether you make a sale or profit, or earn a fee or commission. Trading income below HMRC’s trading allowance does not need a licence, but being above it does not automatically make you a business, and the council can look at HMRC’s “badges of trade”. Businesses that arrange boarding with other people’s homes, such as franchises and matching services, are in scope too.
Dog sitters who care for a dog in its own home, dog walkers, and vets housing dogs as part of treatment are outside it. Cats need a separate cat boarding licence. Operating without a licence is an offence, and so is breaking a licence condition.
How to apply
You apply to your council with the fee, which councils set locally. An inspector visits and reports before the licence is granted. DEFRA says councils should aim to decide within 10 weeks, and you should apply to renew at least 10 weeks before your licence ends.
Star ratings
The rating combines your inspection result with your risk level, which depends on your compliance history among other things.
| Minor failings | Meets minimum standards | Meets higher standards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk | 1 star, 1 year | 3 stars, 2 years | 5 stars, 3 years |
| Higher risk | 1 star, 1 year | 2 stars, 1 year | 4 stars, 2 years |
To meet the higher standards you must meet all the required higher standards and at least half of the optional ones. The rating goes on the licence, the council lists it online, and it can change after an unannounced inspection. Councils make at least one unannounced visit in each licence period.
Home boarding conditions in plain English
Where the dogs stay
- The licence states the maximum number of dogs. Exceeding it is a breach.
- Each dog, or each household’s dogs, gets a designated room to sleep, hide and be kept apart, with a full-height door that closes. An adult must be able to stand in it.
- Not allowed: the bedroom of someone under 16, an outbuilding or shed, or a garage, cellar or loft unless converted to a standard fit for living in.
- The home has its own entrance and direct access to a private, secure garden with two barriers between any dog and the exit. A balcony does not count.
- Sleeping areas should stay between 10 and 26 degrees.
People and training
- Enough competent people for every dog’s needs, and a competent person to cover if you are away for long. The guidance says each member of staff should care for 10 dogs or fewer.
- A written training policy, reviewed every year, and a record of all staff training.
Daily care
- Every dog checked at least once a day, with any sign of pain, illness or odd behaviour recorded.
- Fed at least once a day to a diet agreed with the owner, and separately unless the owner agrees in writing.
- At least one walk a day, with no more than six dogs walked together and the owner’s written consent.
- Not routinely left alone for more than three hours in 24. Crates for no more than three hours in 24, and only if the dog is used to one and the owner agrees.
- Dogs from different households together only with each owner’s written consent, after a documented trial session.
Health and emergencies
- Registered with a vet, with details displayed. Vaccination records seen for every dog, and primary courses finished at least two weeks before boarding.
- A way to isolate a sick dog, and medicines stored securely.
- A preventative healthcare plan agreed with your vet.
- A written emergency plan everyone knows, a smoke detector on each level, at least one carbon monoxide detector, a first aid kit suitable for dogs, and a plan if the home becomes uninhabitable.
- A key holder within 30 minutes of the premises.
If children live in the home, you need procedures for how they and the dogs interact.
Day care differs: no overnight stays, a fixed location, an area to rest and a secure area with water, somewhere a dog can avoid others, supervision at all times, and screening of each dog before admission, with a record.
Records inspectors ask for
| Record | What it should show |
|---|---|
| Licence and premises list | Licence displayed, name and number on your website, any change of premises reported within 30 days |
| Dog register | Arrival and departure (or attendance) dates, name, age, sex, neuter status, microchip, breed, owner and emergency contacts, vet and insurance, medical and behaviour history, parasite treatment, diet, vaccination, worming and flea dates, current treatment, consent forms |
| Daily records | Health and behaviour checks, food and water, toileting, exercise, anything unusual and the vet advice sought |
| Written consents | Dogs mixing, sharing rooms, walks with others, crates, treatment |
| Staff records | Training policy, training received, competence |
| Written procedures | Cleaning and disinfection, disease control, monitoring health, death or escape, emergencies, new dogs |
| Special records | Screening (day care), euthanasia and the vet who did it, trial sessions |
Keep every record for at least 3 years from the day it was created. It must be available to an inspector in a legible form, and electronic records must be backed up.
Getting ready
- Find your council’s licensing page and checklist, because they differ.
- Go through the conditions and mark each as law, guidance or higher standard.
- Build the register, daily logs and written procedures above.
- Agree your preventative healthcare plan with your vet.
- Decide whether to aim for the higher standards: DEFRA says they bring a longer licence, which lowers the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to look after dogs for friends?
Only if it is a business. Income under HMRC’s trading allowance does not need a licence, but above it you should ask your council.
Can I board dogs in a kennel in the garden?
Not under a home boarding licence, which requires dogs to live inside the home. Outbuildings, cages and runs are a different activity with its own conditions, so ask your council.
How long does a licence last?
One to three years, depending on your star rating.
Does the licence guarantee a good rating?
No. The rating reflects your inspection and your compliance history.
Sources
Last checked 22 October 2026.
- The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, including Schedule 2 and Schedule 4, legislation.gov.uk
- Home boarding for dogs licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities, DEFRA
- Dog day care licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities, DEFRA
- Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities, DEFRA
This guide is general information written from the official sources listed above and checked on 22 October 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and Plainfiles is not endorsed by any government body. Rules change, so check the linked official pages for your own situation. Written and designed by Plainfiles with the help of AI tools, then checked against the official legislation and guidance listed in the sources.