Holiday Let Income Calculator UK
Last updated: April 2026
This UK holiday let income calculator estimates what your property could net from short-term letting — based on your postcode area and bedroom count — and compares it against the long-term tenancy equivalent.
It's built for property owners who want honest figures before making a decision.
The comparison that matters most is not the peak-month figure — it is whether your annual short-let net income exceeds what a long-term tenancy would pay across all twelve months, including January and February.
For a figure specific to your exact address, postcode, and property type, use the income estimate form further down the page.
UK holiday let owners with professional management typically net £1,200–£3,800 per month depending on location, property size, and season — compared to £850–£2,000 on a long-term tenancy. Stayful-managed properties average 65–70% occupancy against a market average of 55%. Income varies month to month — the calculator below shows a realistic range including quieter periods, alongside the long-let comparison for your area.
Holiday let income estimator — instant regional estimate
Conservative net figures after management fee — enter your postcode prefix and bedroom count
Conservative estimate
In the quietest months — typically January and February — expect around 45–55% of the peak month income. Even at that level, this property type typically remains above the long-let equivalent for the same area.
Conservative estimate · Based on enquiry data from comparable properties in this region · Net of Stayful's 15% + VAT management fee
Get a postcode-specific income estimate for your property →We don't have local comparison data for that postcode yet — the UK-wide figures below give a conservative starting point.
UK average · Based on 189 verified property enquiries · Conservative estimate · Net of management fee
Get a postcode-specific estimate from Stayful →Conservative estimate · 25th percentile of 189 verified enquiries · Based on comparable properties across the UK · Individual results vary by location, property type, and management quality
See what your holiday let could actually net each month
Postcode-specific net income — including the quieter months and a long-let comparison. Takes 2 minutes, no obligation.
What the calculator actually shows — and why the quieter month figure matters most
The estimate runs in four steps when you enter your postcode prefix and bedroom count.
- Enter your area and bedroom count — type the first two characters of your postcode (NG for Nottingham, OX for Oxford, BA for Bath) and select bedrooms.
- We match to comparable local properties — the calculator uses data from comparable properties managed in your area to estimate typical net short-let income and the long-let benchmark.
- You see the full honest range — the result shows the uplift percentage, monthly difference, and annual extra income. The floor note explains what the quietest month typically looks like for this property type.
- Get your postcode-specific figure — the income estimate form gives a more precise figure tied to your actual address, property type, and current local comparables.
What every figure in the result actually means
All figures shown are net — after Stayful's 15% + VAT management fee and after cleaning costs that are passed to guests.
What you see is what reaches your account.
Every figure uses the bottom quartile of comparable properties in that area — not the median and not the best-performing properties.
Most owners on Stayful's portfolio outperform the estimate shown here.
The floor note assumes approximately 45% occupancy — what a well-managed property typically achieves in the area's lowest-demand period.
For most UK cities and towns this falls in January or February.
The long-term tenancy figure uses current local market rent for the bedroom count shown.
This is the figure a letting agent would advertise today for a comparable property on a 12-month AST.
Why two identical holiday lets in the same postcode can produce very different net figures
The postcode and bedroom count give the regional benchmark.
Individual results within that benchmark vary significantly based on six factors.
- Location within the postcode — proximity to transport, city centre, or specific demand drivers such as hospitals, universities, or event venues moves the achievable nightly rate materially above or below the area average.
- Property condition and photography quality — professionally photographed properties on Stayful's portfolio book at a measurable premium over self-listed equivalents in the same postcode.
- Pricing strategy — dynamic pricing adjusted weekly to local demand patterns, events, and seasonality consistently outperforms fixed-rate listings. This is included within Stayful's 15% + VAT management fee.
- Platform mix — 40% of Stayful bookings come direct, reducing the platform commission drag that affects self-managed and single-platform properties. Direct bookings also improve income stability across the year.
- Seasonality pattern for the property type — leisure properties (coastal, rural, heritage towns) show a more pronounced seasonal curve than urban city properties. Peak months can be 2–3x quieter months for rural holiday lets. The calculator accounts for this in the floor note.
- Bedroom configuration — a well-configured two-bedroom often outperforms a poorly presented three-bedroom in the same postcode. Specification and guest suitability matter as much as bedroom count for net income.
Short-let vs long-let for a UK holiday property — what the income comparison actually shows
For most UK property owners, switching from a long-term tenancy to professionally managed short-term letting produces a measurable income increase.
The honest answer is that this depends on three things: your postcode, your property type, and whether you have a management company that maintains consistent occupancy.
The comparison in the calculator uses the conservative end of Stayful's managed portfolio — the bottom quartile of 189 verified enquiries across the UK.
There are situations where short-term letting does not produce a better outcome than long-term letting — and the income estimate is designed to surface those cases honestly, not to steer every enquiry towards a conversion.
No short-let management company can guarantee a fixed monthly income — and any company that offers one is typically embedding the guarantee into inflated projections or fee structures that erode the benefit.
What Stayful shows is the realistic range for your property type in your area, including what slower months look like.
In a slower year, a well-managed Stayful holiday let typically earns 40–55% of its peak month income in January and February.
Even at that level, the annual total for properties where the initial estimate shows a positive outcome has consistently exceeded the equivalent long-term tenancy income.
The income estimate shows the full-year picture — not just the peak.
Get the full-year picture for your property
Net income after all costs. Quieter months shown alongside peak. Long-let comparison included. You can block any dates to use the property yourself — no approval needed.
Holiday let income and tax — what the 2025 changes mean for your net figure
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From April 2025, the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime was abolished.
Holiday let income is now treated as standard UK property income under Self Assessment — the same as buy-to-let.
Mortgage interest relief is capped at the 20% basic rate tax credit, and capital allowances on furnishings are no longer available on new purchases.
The practical impact on gross-to-net income is modest for most owners — the underlying rental income difference between short-letting and long-letting remains significant.
Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances — always confirm with a qualified accountant.
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If your property is available for short-term letting for at least 140 days per year and actually let for at least 70 days, it moves from council tax to the business rates system.
Properties with a rateable value under £15,000 may qualify for Small Business Rate Relief, which reduces or eliminates the business rates liability.
This means many holiday let owners pay less in business rates than they would in council tax — though this depends on local authority rateable value assessments.
The questions UK holiday let owners ask before they run the numbers
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Net income from a UK holiday let managed by Stayful typically ranges from £1,100 to £3,800 per month depending on location, bedrooms, and time of year.
A well-managed two-bedroom property in a city like Sheffield or Nottingham nets approximately £1,400–£1,800 per month on average, with higher figures in Bath, Leeds, and London.
The calculator above gives a conservative area estimate — the income estimate form gives a figure specific to your postcode and property type.
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The UK market average occupancy rate for short-term lets is approximately 55% according to AirDNA data.
Stayful-managed properties average 65–70% occupancy across the portfolio — the gap is primarily driven by dynamic pricing updated weekly and the 40% direct booking channel that reduces dependence on Airbnb and Booking.com algorithms.
For context, 65% occupancy on a two-bedroom property netting £90 per night means approximately 19.8 booked nights per month — around £1,780 gross before deductions.
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Across Stayful's portfolio, the conservative uplift from switching a long-term tenancy to professionally managed short-term letting is 48–66%.
A property currently generating £1,200 per month on a long-term tenancy would typically net £1,776–£1,992 per month on Stayful — using the bottom-quartile estimate.
In higher-demand areas such as Bath, Leeds, and Brighton, the uplift is considerably higher.
The comparison assumes professional management, dynamic pricing, and the direct booking channel — self-managed properties typically underperform against these benchmarks.
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January and February are the lowest-demand months for most UK short-let properties.
On a well-managed property, the quietest month typically nets around 45–55% of the peak month income.
Even at that level, the slow-month figure for properties where the initial estimate showed a positive outcome has typically exceeded what the same property would generate on a long-term tenancy in the same month.
The calculator above shows the quietest month estimate alongside the typical figure so you can make an honest comparison before deciding.
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No — and we'd be cautious of any company that does.
Providers who offer income guarantees typically embed them in inflated projections or fee structures that reduce the net figure below what an honest variable income would deliver.
What Stayful shows is the realistic range for your property in your postcode, including the quietest months — based on comparable properties we currently manage, not best-case modelling.
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With Stayful, the management fee is 15% + VAT of booking revenue — there is no setup fee.
Cleaning costs are passed to guests at cost via the booking platform, so they do not reduce your net income.
Additional costs you retain responsibility for include buildings and contents insurance, mortgage payments, utility bills, and periodic maintenance.
The income estimate shows the net figure after the management fee — all figures in the calculator above are net, not gross booking values.
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Yes — you block dates you want to use the property in your owner calendar.
No permission is needed, no approval process, and no notice period is required.
Unlike a long-term tenancy, no guest has exclusive possession of your property — every booking ends, and you remain in full control of what happens next.
Want Stayful to run the income numbers for your specific holiday let property?
0113 479 0251Get your property-specific income figure — before you decide anything
Postcode-specific net income. Quieter months shown alongside peak. Long-let comparison included. You can block any dates to use the property yourself. No obligation, 2 minutes.
Stayful · 0113 479 0251 · 15% + VAT · No setup fee · No lock-in