Full-Service Airbnb & Holiday Let Management Across the UK
Last updated: June 2026
Owners switching from long-term to short-term letting with Stayful typically see a 48–66% uplift in net monthly income after the management fee — and in many locations significantly more.
The income estimate shows exactly what your property and postcode could achieve — including what quieter months look like, not just the peak figure.
Short-term letting managed by Stayful returns a conservative 48–66% more per month than a long-term tenancy after all fees — and in many locations significantly more. Source basis: Stayful enquiry data, 189 properties, England. The management fee is 15% + VAT, no setup fee. Full service covers guest communication, dynamic pricing, cleaning coordination and multi-platform listing. The income estimate shows the exact net figure for your postcode, including quieter months.
What landlords switching from long-term letting actually earn — including the quieter months
STR figures are gross booking revenue from Stayful's managed portfolio. Net shown after deduction of Stayful's 15% + VAT management fee. Long-term let figures are market-rate equivalents for each postcode. Actual results vary by property condition and local demand.
From enquiry to first booking — what the first 14 days look like
Enter your postcode and property type — takes two minutes, no obligation, no setup fee at any stage of the process.
We walk through your property, confirm the income plan and answer every question before anything is signed or committed to.
Professional photography, listing copywriting and setup across all platforms — typically live within 7–14 days of the onboarding call.
Stayful handles everything from here. Monthly income paid directly to your account between the 1st and 5th of each month.
Everything the 15% + VAT management fee covers — and what it doesn't
- Multi-platform listing management — Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, Google and Stayful Direct, all active from day one
- Daily dynamic pricing — nightly rates reviewed and adjusted to reflect local demand, events and seasonality
- 24/7 guest communication — every message handled from first enquiry through to check-out, including issues during stays
- Professional photography and listing copywriting at onboarding — included, no additional charge
- Cleaning coordination between every stay — managed by Stayful, not outsourced to the owner
- Key management and access coordination for every booking
- Maintenance coordination — issues raised, managed and reported to you with a full record
- Review management and reputation building — 4.8★ across the Stayful managed portfolio
- Monthly income reporting — full payout breakdown, paid 1st–5th of each month directly to your account
- Direct booking channel — 40% of bookings come through Stayful's own channel at 0% platform fee, improving your net return over time
Not included: cleaning costs (passed to guests at cost, not marked up) and maintenance materials (charged at cost). No setup fee, no onboarding fee, no exit fee.
How Stayful compares to other UK short-let management options
| Feature | Stayful | Typical local agent | National platform model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 15% + VAT | 18–25% + VAT | 20–28% + VAT |
| Setup fee | None — ever | Often £150–£500 | Often £200–£800 |
| Platforms listed on | Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, Google, Stayful Direct | Typically 1–2 platforms | Airbnb primary, limited others |
| Dynamic pricing | Included, reviewed daily | Varies by provider | Varies by provider |
| 24/7 guest communication | Included | Varies by provider | Often automated only |
| Direct booking channel | 40% of bookings | Rarely available | Not available |
| Monthly owner reporting | Included | Varies by provider | Basic payout statement only |
| Contract flexibility | Rolling monthly — no tie-in | Often 3–12 months fixed | Often 12+ months fixed |
The three things landlords want to know before they run the numbers
Short-term letting income varies with season — that is honest and true of every property across every management company.
Stayful-managed properties average 65–70% occupancy against a UK market average of 55%, which narrows the gap between peak months and quiet ones. Based on enquiry data, England, April 2026: even in the quietest month on record across comparable managed properties, the net figure exceeded the long-term tenancy equivalent in the same postcode.
The income estimate shows the full-year picture — not just the peak figure.
We don't guarantee a fixed income figure — and we'd be cautious of any management company that does.
Providers offering guaranteed income are typically building that guarantee into inflated projections or fee structures that erode the benefit. What Stayful shows you is the realistic range for your property type in your postcode — including what quieter months look like on comparable managed properties — so the decision you make is based on real figures, not best-case ones.
Even in a slower year, the net figure typically exceeds what a long-term tenancy would pay. Below-market performance would require two things to fail simultaneously: the dynamic pricing expertise applied to every property, and the direct booking channel accounting for 40% of bookings.
You block dates you want to use the property in your owner calendar — no notice required, no approval process, and no restriction on how often you do it.
Unlike a long-term tenancy, no guest has exclusive possession of your property at any point. Every booking ends, the property is cleaned, and it returns to your control immediately. Monthly income is paid directly to your account between the 1st and 5th of each month.
What a comparable property earned — in a strong month and a quieter one
"We ran the income estimate expecting the numbers to be optimistic. They weren't — we've actually come in above estimate in several months. Even in February, the quietest month since switching, we netted more than the tenancy was paying. The only thing I'd say is: we should have done this a year earlier."
What the 2025 holiday let tax changes mean for your property specifically
The Furnished Holiday Let tax regime was abolished in April 2025. Short-term letting income is now treated as standard UK property income. These are the five changes that affect property owners currently running — or considering — a short-term let.
Under the previous FHL regime, mortgage interest could be deducted in full against rental income. Under the current rules, mortgage interest attracts a 20% basic rate tax credit only — the same treatment that applies to standard buy-to-let income. Higher and additional rate taxpayers pay the difference themselves. This change applies to all short-term let income from April 2025 regardless of how long it was previously classified as FHL.
Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. Confirm the position with a qualified accountant before making income projections based on tax assumptions.
The FHL regime allowed capital allowances on furnishings and equipment as a deduction against income. From April 2025, this is no longer available on new property purchases. Properties already in the FHL regime before that date may retain some transitional relief — confirm with an accountant. Replacement furniture relief (replacing like-for-like items) continues to apply to ongoing furnished lettings.
Short-term let properties now attract CGT at the standard residential rates: 18% (basic rate taxpayers) or 24% (higher rate taxpayers) on the gain. Business Asset Disposal Relief — which previously reduced CGT to 10% for qualifying FHL properties sold after a trading period — no longer applies to short-term let income under the new rules.
A property available to let for 140+ days and actually let for 70+ days per year (in England) qualifies for business rates rather than council tax. If the rateable value is under £15,000, Small Business Rate Relief applies — which can reduce the effective rate to zero. Properties that do not meet this threshold are subject to council tax, which in some local authority areas attracts a short-term let premium.
Short-term let income is reported on the UK property income pages of a Self Assessment return — the same pages used for long-term rental income. The separate FHL supplementary pages no longer apply. If you previously completed FHL supplementary pages, you may need to update your self-assessment setup. Stayful's monthly income reporting provides a full breakdown suitable for accountant review.
The questions property owners ask before they run the numbers — answered honestly
A full-service Airbnb management company handles every operational aspect of a short-let property so the owner does not need to be involved in the day-to-day.
That includes setting and adjusting nightly rates using dynamic pricing, managing listings across multiple platforms, handling all guest communication around the clock, coordinating professional cleaning between stays, managing keys and access, carrying out property inspections, responding to maintenance issues and delivering monthly income reports.
Stayful additionally runs a direct booking channel that accounts for 40% of bookings — reducing dependence on Airbnb's platform and stabilising income over time.
Full-service Airbnb management in the UK typically costs between 15% and 25% of accommodation revenue plus VAT. Stayful charges 15% + VAT with no setup fee at any stage — not at onboarding, not on renewal, not on exit.
Cleaning is passed to guests at cost rather than marked up. The income estimate shows the net figure — what lands in your account after the management fee — for your specific property and postcode.
This applies whether you are searching for Airbnb management, holiday let management, short let management, or serviced accommodation management — the fee and full service scope are identical.
The 15% + VAT covers: 24/7 guest communication, daily dynamic pricing, multi-platform listing management, cleaning coordination, key management, maintenance coordination, property inspections, review management, monthly income reporting and the direct booking channel.
Professional photography and listing copywriting are included at onboarding — there is no photography fee. Cleaning charges are passed to guests at cost. There is no setup fee, onboarding fee, or exit fee.
See the full breakdown at what's included in short-term rental management.
Yes — you block any dates you want to use the property in your owner calendar with no notice period, no approval process and no restriction on frequency.
Unlike a long-term tenancy, no guest ever has exclusive possession of your property. Every booking ends, the property is cleaned, and it returns to your control immediately.
Short-term letting income varies by season — that is true of every property and every management company. The income estimate shows the full-year picture including what a slower month looks like on comparable managed properties in your postcode.
Stayful's managed portfolio averages 65–70% occupancy against a UK market average of 55%, which narrows the gap. For below-market performance to occur, two things would need to fail simultaneously: the dynamic pricing applied to every property, and the 40% direct booking channel.
No — and we would be cautious of any management company that does. Providers offering guaranteed income figures are typically building that guarantee into inflated projections or fee structures that absorb the guarantee cost.
What Stayful shows you is the realistic range for your property type in your postcode — including what quieter months look like on comparable managed properties — so the decision is based on real figures.
Properties are typically live across all platforms within 7–14 days of the onboarding call. That covers photography, listing copywriting, platform setup across Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, Google and Stayful's direct booking channel, pricing configuration and key management setup.
There is no setup fee at any stage of the onboarding process.
For most UK properties in areas with genuine short-let demand, the net income from professionally managed short-term letting exceeds what the same property generates on a standard assured shorthold tenancy.
Stayful-managed owners typically see a 48–66% uplift in net monthly income after the management fee — and in many locations significantly more. The income estimate shows the full-year comparison for your specific postcode, including what quieter months look like.
If you need a guaranteed fixed amount every month regardless of bookings, short-term letting may not be the right fit — and we'll tell you that when you run the estimate.
An Airbnb management company handles the full operation — pricing, guests, cleaning, maintenance and communication — for a percentage of booking income.
An Airbnb agency or listing agent may handle only the listing setup, bookings or marketing, leaving operations with the owner. Stayful is a full-service management company: once onboarded, no operational task sits with the owner unless they choose to be involved.
More detail at how a full-service Airbnb agency model works.
Both options are available. With Stayful's guaranteed rent, you receive a fixed monthly amount regardless of occupancy — income certainty over income optimisation. With managed short-term letting, your income varies with bookings but typically returns significantly more.
Run the income estimate first — it shows you the managed STL range and the long-let equivalent for your postcode, including what a quieter month looks like. That comparison is usually the clearest way to decide.
40% of Stayful's bookings come through direct channels at 0% platform fee. Direct bookings improve the net return on every stay without changing the headline nightly rate. Stayful builds and maintains the direct booking channel for all managed properties as part of the standard management service.
If you are already hosting on Airbnb and want to reduce platform dependency without switching management, use the direct booking enquiry form.
Switching is straightforward and costs nothing. Once your current notice period ends — most rolling monthly contracts require 30 days — Stayful re-photographs your property, updates all platform listings and has you live within 7–14 days.
Run the income estimate to see whether switching would materially improve your net return. Even a 3–5% improvement in occupancy rate at the same nightly price compounds significantly over 12 months.
What UK landlords read before making the switch from long-term to short-term letting
See what your property could realistically earn — including the quieter months
The income estimate shows the full-year picture for your postcode and property type — not just the peak figure. Takes 2 minutes. No obligation. No setup fee — ever.
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Airbnb and holiday let management — find your area
Stayful manages short-term rental properties across England at 15% + VAT — no setup fee, rolling monthly contracts, live in 7–14 days.