Where can and cannot you vape indoors in UK

Six common UK indoor scenarios with practical legal status.

Pubs and restaurants

Almost no UK pubs or restaurants allow indoor vaping in 2026. Although not illegal under national law, virtually all UK hospitality venues prohibit it under house rules. Pub Watch and Restaurant Association guidance recommends no-vaping policies. Reasons. Vapour clouds affect other diners' experience. Difficulty distinguishing vapes from cigarettes for staff enforcing smoking bans. Customer complaints. Insurance and licensing pressures. Smell and residue on furnishings. UK exceptions. Vape-friendly pubs: small minority explicitly welcome vaping; check before visiting. Outdoor beer gardens: vaping usually allowed if smoking is. Designated smoking/vaping shelters: some larger venues. The practical rule: assume no indoor vaping in UK pubs and restaurants unless signage explicitly says otherwise.

Public transport

UK public transport operators prohibit vaping across all major modes despite no national law. National Rail and ScotRail: vaping banned on all trains, platforms and station concourses under operator bylaws. £100+ penalty fares. London Underground, buses, trams: TfL bylaws prohibit vaping; £100 penalty fine. UK city buses, trams, metros: virtually all operators ban vaping under bylaws. Taxis: Hackney carriage and private hire bylaws across UK councils prohibit; ride-hailing services (Uber, Bolt) also prohibit. Coaches: National Express, Megabus no vaping. Aviation: all UK airlines ban vaping on flights; vapes must be in carry-on not checked baggage due to lithium-ion rules. UK airports prohibit vaping in terminals with designated outdoor areas. Ferries: P&O, DFDS, Stena prohibit indoor vaping; outdoor decks usually allowed.

Workplaces

Depends on the employer. UK employers are not required by national law to ban indoor vaping but most do. Common UK approaches. Total ban: most common; vaping prohibited indoors and on premises. Designated areas: vaping in specific outdoor smoking areas. Vape rooms: minority of UK employers provide indoor vape rooms for employees using vapes to quit smoking. Treated like smoking: identical outdoor break policies. Reasons employers ban. Lease covenants from landlords. Health and safety policies. Distraction concerns. Air conditioning system concerns. Public Health England encouraged employers to allow workplace vaping as part of smoking cessation; uptake mixed. Check your employee handbook first. Vaping in breach of workplace policy can result in disciplinary action up to dismissal in serious cases.

Hotels

Almost no UK hotels allow vaping in 2026. Major UK chains with no-vape policies: Premier Inn, Travelodge, Hilton UK, Marriott UK, Holiday Inn, IHG, Best Western, Accor, Mercure, Hyatt. Independent hotels: vast majority prohibit. Reasons. Vape residue on furnishings causing cleaning costs. Detection difficulty between vape and cigarette. Customer complaints from adjacent rooms. Smoke detector activation. Common UK approach. Total smoke and vape ban indoors. Designated outdoor smoking and vaping areas. Cleaning fees £100-300 for evidence of vaping in rooms. Penalty surcharges £150-500 in some chains. Booking platforms (Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo) display no-smoking and no-vaping policies; respect these.

Home and private property

Vaping in your own home (if you own it) is legal and unrestricted under UK law. Health Act 2006 only covers enclosed public places and workplaces. Tenants: depends on tenancy agreement. UK landlords can prohibit vaping; many do. Three scenarios. No-smoking, no-vaping clause: explicitly prohibits both. No-smoking clause only: ambiguous; check with landlord. No restriction: unusual but possible. Practical considerations. Children: NHS suggests not vaping around them; second-hand vapour low risk but not zero. Pregnant women: NHS supports vaping for pregnant smokers as safer than cigarettes. Pets: vape away from cats, dogs, birds. Visitors: ask before vaping. Smell: high-VG sub-ohm vaping leaves residue. Smoke alarms: some sub-ohm devices trigger ionisation alarms.

Other UK indoor settings

Brief overview. Cinemas, theatres, concert halls: total ban under venue rules. Shopping centres: most prohibit; check signage; outdoor benches usually allowed. Hospitals and NHS premises: total ban including grounds. NHS Smokefree policy applies to vapes in most trusts. Schools and universities: total ban for staff, students, visitors. Schools mandatory; universities under their own rules. Supermarkets and shops: total ban; vape shops obviously exception. Gyms: total ban under member rules. Sports stadiums: total ban; designated outdoor areas. Government buildings: total ban under public sector workplace policies. Prisons: vapes allowed under controlled prisoner welfare policies in some UK prisons; outright ban in others.

For UK pod kit options head to our pod kit collection. For vaping in pubs see can you vape in pubs.

For more on UK vaping laws and where you can vape head over to our full vaping guides hub.