Basic Guide to starting a Guest House Business

In essence, a Guest House offers comfortable overnight sleeping accommodation for visitors in separate en-suite bedrooms and must provide a cooked breakfast and evening meal.

A Guest House differs slightly from a B&B in that it is usually larger and must offer at least 3 double en-suite bedrooms*; it may also apply to be licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.

Most Guest Houses are run by people who have had no formal training but have a genuine flair for household management, good hygiene, simple cooking and good people skills – offering true Northern Ireland hospitality. From the hearty home-made breakfast and evening meal to the warmth of the welcome, it is the extra touches that really count.

Planning approval may be required if you decide to use more than 50% of your bedroom space. Refer to www.planning.gov.uk for more information. As breakfast and evening meals may be served at Guest House establishments, you will need to make sure that you are adhering to food safety legislation.

All food establishments in Northern Ireland must be registered with their local council environmental health service. Refer to www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk for additional information.

*Applies to Guest Houses certified for the first time on or after 11/11/09

Tourism legislation requires all tourism/visitor accommodation to hold a current Tourism Northern Ireland (NI) certificate. This involves a visit to the property from a member of Tourism NI’s certification team, who will inspect the property to ensure it meets certification requirements. Under current legislation, a statutory (legal) inspection of the premises is undertaken every four years. A certificate issued by Tourism NI, following this inspection, is also valid for four years.

Applications can be submitted online at https://forms.tourismni.com/Forms/ accompanied by a fee. £20 is payable for every room you intend to let, subject to a minimum fee of £80 and a maximum of £200.

Payment and application can also be made by post by downloading and completing the application form here.

You can also request an application pack by contacting the Quality & Standards team by email to qa@tourismni.com or telephone 028 90 441545. When a completed application form and fee are received, a member of Tourism NI’s inspection team will contact you to arrange a suitable time and date for the visit.

The requirements and recommendations set out here are intended for guidance; they are not comprehensive. During an inspection you will be advised on matters not specifically detailed here, however, inspections do not cover all aspects of tourist accommodation; it is the responsibility of certified premise operators/owners to make every reasonable effort to ensure that visitors enjoy a safe and secure stay. As part of your duty of care to visitors, you should remain vigilant of the potential risk to visitors and of how you describe your premises in marketing and promotion.