Short lets
Serviced Accommodation vs Airbnb: What's the Difference for Landlords?
People often use "Airbnb" and "serviced accommodation" to mean the same thing. For a landlord, they're quite different ways of letting a property.
The short version
Airbnb-style short lets are typically nightly stays, often for tourists, booked a few days or weeks ahead. Serviced accommodation usually means furnished stays of a week to a few months, often for professionals, contractors and families, with cleaning and support included.
Side by side
| Nightly short let | Serviced accommodation | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical stay | 1–7 nights | 1 week to 3 months |
| Typical guests | Tourists, weekend visitors | Contractors, relocations, families |
| Income | Highest potential, most variable | Strong and steadier |
| Changeovers | Frequent | Fewer |
| Wear and tear | Higher | Lower |
| Booked through | Mainly holiday platforms | Platforms, companies and direct |
The London angle
In Greater London, whole homes can only be let for short stays (under 90 consecutive nights) for up to 90 nights a year without planning permission. Longer stays aren't counted in the same way. That's one reason serviced accommodation, with its longer bookings, suits many London homes. Read the 90-night rule explained.
Which is better for your property?
It depends on the location and the property. A flat near hospitals, offices or major stations often does well with longer stays. A small flat in a tourist hotspot may suit shorter stays, within the rules. A good operator will tell you honestly which fits your home.
Don't want to run it yourself?
You can have it run for you under management, or let us take it on under guaranteed rent for a fixed monthly income.