Yes. All bats in the UK are protected by law, and so are the places they roost. The Bat Conservation Trust counts 18 species of bat in the UK, 17 of them known to breed here, and every one of them is a European protected species. The protection covers the roost as well as the bat, whether or not any bats are in it at the time. That is why bats come up so often when people repair a roof, convert a loft or barn, or apply for planning permission. This guide sets out what the law says, what you can and can't do with bats in a house, and when your plans will need an ecologist.
Which laws protect bats in the UK?
Bats are protected in every part of the UK, but the legislation and the body that issues licences differ by country.
| Country | Main legislation | Licences issued by |
|---|---|---|
| England | Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | Natural England |
| Wales | Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | Natural Resources Wales |
| Scotland | Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 | NatureScot |
| Northern Ireland | Its own wildlife and habitats legislation | DAERA |
Why are bats protected in the UK?
Bats make up almost a quarter of the UK's mammal species, and their populations suffered severe declines over the past century. The Bat Conservation Trust puts this down to persecution and habitat loss. Every UK species feeds on insects such as midges, flies and moths, so bats help keep insect numbers in check. They are also slow to recover: a female usually has a single pup a year and takes a few years to start breeding.
As old trees, woodland and other natural roosting sites have been lost, bats have adapted to roost in buildings, from houses and barns to bridges and churches. Roosts in buildings are now essential for some species, which is why the law reaches into people's homes in a way it does for few other protected species.
Which bat species live in the UK?
The Bat Conservation Trust lists 18 species, 17 known to breed here. Ten of them are found in Scotland, according to NatureScot.
| Group | UK species |
|---|---|
| Pipistrelles | Common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Nathusius' pipistrelle |
| Horseshoe bats | Greater horseshoe bat, lesser horseshoe bat |
| Long-eared bats | Brown long-eared bat, grey long-eared bat |
| Myotis bats | Alcathoe, Bechstein's, Brandt's, Daubenton's, Natterer's and whiskered bats, and the greater mouse-eared bat |
| Noctules and serotine | Noctule, Leisler's bat, serotine |
| Others | Barbastelle |
What counts as a bat roost?
A roost is any place a wild bat uses for shelter or protection. The Bat Conservation Trust is clear that the number of bats doesn't matter, so even one bat counts as a roost. Nor does the species, the age of the building, or how long the bats have been there.
Bats are seasonal and often move between roosts, but they are loyal to them and tend to return at the same time each year. So a roost stays protected all year round, whether it is occupied or not. A loft that bats use for a few weeks in summer is still a roost in January.
| Maternity roosts | In summer, females form maternity colonies in warm nursery sites such as buildings or trees, and usually give birth to a single pup. |
|---|---|
| Hibernation roosts | Bats hibernate through most of the winter in cool, quiet places such as disused buildings, old trees and caves. Waking them burns fat they need to survive until spring. |
| Spring and autumn roosts | Between seasons, bats move between several roost sites and mating roosts as they feed and build up fat. |
What is illegal? Bat offences and penalties
In England and Wales, regulation 43 of the 2017 Regulations and section 9 of the 1981 Act make it an offence to:
- deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat
- deliberately disturb bats, or intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat while it occupies a roost
- damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place, even if no bats are in it at the time
- intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a roost
- possess, control, transport, sell or exchange a bat, alive or dead, or any part of one
Damaging or destroying a roost doesn't have to be deliberate to be an offence. The Bat Conservation Trust calls it an absolute offence: it is against the law whether or not you knew the roost was there.
Penalties: GOV.UK says anyone found guilty could face up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The Bat Conservation Trust adds that penalties can include seizure of the proceeds of the work and of equipment, and that a contractor who carries on can be held responsible along with the owner.
Bats in the loft or roof: what can you do?
Many homeowners share their house with bats without knowing it. Bats are not rodents: they don't gnaw wood, wires or insulation, don't build nests or bring in bedding, and use gaps that are already there. Female bats usually have one pup a year, so a house can't become infested. UK bats eat insects such as midges, flies and moths, so their droppings are dry and crumble to dust.
Can you remove bats from your loft?
No, not as a rule. Because bats and their roosts are protected, the Bat Conservation Trust says it is not generally possible to remove or rehome bats, and that no company in the UK offers a legal bat removal service. If you find a website offering one, it is unlikely to be about UK bats. Blocking their access points or using an ultrasonic deterrent puts you at risk of breaking the law too.
Is it safe to live with bats and clear their droppings?
Having bats is not against the law: the offences are about harming or disturbing bats and damaging or obstructing the roost. The Bat Conservation Trust says there are no known health risks from UK bat droppings, but advises a dust mask and gloves when you sweep them up, ideally when the bats are not present. Never handle a bat with bare hands. The rabies risk from UK bats is extremely small, but it is spread by bites and scratches.
Can you repair, insulate or re-roof a house with bats?
Usually yes, but the bats have to be considered first. GOV.UK lists repairing or replacing roofs, insulating or converting lofts, repointing brickwork, treating timber and adding lights near roost entrances among the works that can harm bats, along with removing hedgerows, watercourses or woodland and changing the areas where bats forage. The law applies whether or not the work needs planning permission.
| Timing | Work is commonly advised for April, or mid-September to the end of October, when bats are least likely to be present. |
|---|---|
| Roofing felt | In a roof used by bats, only bituminous felt without polypropylene or polyethylene filaments, such as type 1F, or sarking boards. |
| Breathable membranes | Non-bitumen roofing membranes should not go into a bat roost: bats can pull out the fibres and get tangled. Building Regulations don't require them. |
| Access points | Gaps the bats use may need to be kept, or new access points created. |
| Lighting | New lights near roost entrances should be avoided or kept to a minimum. |
In England, the National Bat Helpline runs a free advice service on behalf of Natural England for bats in homes and places of worship. You fill in a dwelling roost visit request form, and you may get a visit from a volunteer bat roost visitor. Natural England then sends written advice on how and when the work can be done. Don't start until you have it, and note that it is only valid until the last date it gives. The free service can't advise on building work that needs planning permission, which is where an ecological consultant comes in.
There is also a legal reason to ask first. Section 10 of the 1981 Act has defences for acts inside a dwelling house and for the unavoidable side effects of lawful work. For bats outside the living area, such as in the loft, you can only rely on them if you told Natural England beforehand and gave it reasonable time to advise.
Do I need a bat survey for planning permission?
You need one if your council asks for it, and councils are told to ask whenever a proposal is likely to harm bats, their roosts or the places they feed and commute. GOV.UK's standing advice to planning authorities mentions construction, demolition, extension, conversion and renovation of buildings, the felling of large or old trees with cavities, loose bark or dense ivy, sites near woodland or water, and new lighting near bat habitat. It also warns that the absence of a bat record does not mean there are no bats.
Timing matters. GOV.UK tells councils not to decide an application until they have every survey they need, and not usually to leave surveys to a planning condition, because the effect on protected species has to be weighed before permission is granted. A survey shows which species use the site, how many, and how they use it. In practice, that means commissioning a bat survey before you submit, from an ecologist who holds a bat survey licence, rather than waiting for the council to ask.
If you are not sure whether your project needs ecology input at all, the Wildlife Assessment Check, a free tool from the Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning, is designed for householders and small to medium developers.
What ecology evidence does the council expect?
Each council publishes its own local validation checklist, so start there to see the ecology evidence your council expects. In the North East, Durham, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Stockton and Darlington set their requirements in slightly different ways, and an application missing a survey the checklist asks for won't be validated.
Does finding bats stop a planning application?
Rarely. GOV.UK's advice is to avoid harm first, for example by leaving roosts in place or timing work outside the maternity and hibernation periods. Where a roost can't be kept, it must be replaced like for like, with no net loss of roost sites, so the local bat population can carry on as before. Before granting permission, the council needs to be confident that Natural England will issue a licence.
Do you need a bat mitigation licence?
If the work can't avoid harming bats or their roost, you need a licence before it starts. In England there are three routes, all run by Natural England and used through a licensed ecologist.
| Licence | What it is | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Bat mitigation licence (A13) | An individual licence for a specific site where harm can't be avoided. | Apply only when work is due to start within 3 months, with all other consents in place. Natural England usually decides within 30 working days. Fees are a fixed £500 where the criteria are met, or £219 plus £121 an hour. |
| Low impact class licence (CL21) | A class licence letting registered ecologists carry out lower-impact work on certain roosts. | Being phased out: no new consultants, and no new sites registered after 14 December 2026. |
| Bat Earned Recognition | A class licence for accredited bat ecologists, who register each site under it. | Replacing CL21. Accreditation levels decide which species and roost types an ecologist can work on. |
A licence can only be granted for a valid purpose, where there is no satisfactory alternative, and where the bats will not be harmed as a species. Your ecologist sets this out in a reasoned statement and method statement. In Wales, Natural Resources Wales won't treat an application as complete while planning permission is still being considered. In Scotland, NatureScot licenses everything from major works to minor home repairs.
What if you find bats during building work?
Don't panic, but take it seriously. The Bat Conservation Trust's three steps are to pause all work, make sure the bat is not in danger, and get advice. You will not be in trouble if you act responsibly as soon as the bats are found.
- Stop work on the whole building, not just the spot where the bat was. The roost stays protected even if the bat flies off.
- If the bat is still in the roost, leave it and gently replace whatever was covering it.
- If you need to make the roof watertight, use tarpaulin or bitumen felt, not a non-bitumen membrane, and leave one edge unsealed so bats can get out.
- Call the National Bat Helpline, or an ecological consultant if the work isn't eligible for free advice.
What should you do if you find a bat in your house?
A bat on the floor or ground, out in the open in daylight, in a living room, caught by a cat, or a pup without its mother needs help, and should not be released without advice. Put on gloves, contain it following the Bat Conservation Trust's instructions, and call the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228. The law allows you to handle a bat in trouble to help it.
| National Bat Helpline | 0345 1300 228, Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Volunteer emergency line, May to September only: weekdays 6pm to 10pm, weekends and bank holidays 10am to 10pm |
| Bat roosting in a loft or outbuilding | Leave it where it is. It may simply be roosting, so ring the helpline for advice. |
Buying or selling a house with bats
A roost doesn't stop a sale, and it doesn't stop future work: it means the bats must be considered first. The Bat Conservation Trust recommends that sellers disclose a known roost, and suggests asking your solicitor if you are unsure whether you are legally obliged to. Buyers planning a loft conversion or a new roof should budget time for advice or surveys before work starts.
