Holiday Let Profit Calculator (UK)
A human-friendly holiday let profit calculator that shows what you keep, not just what you earn. Model revenue, turnovers (cleans), seasonal utility shifts, platform fees, management (15% + VAT), and even mortgage/finance costs for a realistic UK net profit view.
Definition: Holiday let profit = booking revenue (plus any guest-paid fees you keep) minus the costs to operate the property (turnovers/cleaning, linen, utilities, maintenance, insurance, platform fees/commission, management, and optional finance costs).
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Profit calculator
Enter a “typical month”. The tool estimates revenue, turnovers (cleans), total costs and net profit. It also flags why 1-night patterns often struggle and why a 2-night minimum is usually healthier.
One-night stays often aren’t profitable because cleaning and coordination costs are spread over a single night. A 2-night minimum usually protects margin.
| Line item | How we estimate it | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation revenue | ADR × booked nights | — |
| Guest-paid cleaning fee (revenue) | Turnovers × guest cleaning fee | — |
| Total revenue | Accommodation + guest cleaning revenue | — |
| Platform fee drag | Accommodation revenue × channel fee % | — |
| Cleaning / turnovers (cost) | Turnovers × cleaning cost | — |
| Linen (optional) | Turnovers × linen per stay | — |
| Utilities (season-adjusted) | Utilities base × season factor | — |
| Maintenance & consumables | As entered | — |
| Insurance & fixed costs | As entered | — |
| Stayful management | Accommodation revenue × 15% + VAT (20%) | — |
| Mortgage / finance (optional) | As entered | — |
| Other monthly costs | As entered | — |
| Net profit | Total revenue − total costs | — |
Quick sanity check: profit is usually won or lost in three places: (1) average stay length (turnover frequency), (2) pricing (ADR), and (3) quiet monthly “drip costs” (utilities + maintenance + replacements). This tool makes those visible.
How to calculate holiday let profit (plain English)
If you want a realistic UK estimate, you need to model turnovers. A month with 18 booked nights could be 9 stays or 18 stays — and that changes cleaning, linen, wear-and-tear and management workload.
Profit formula
Profit ≈ (ADR × nights + guest fees you keep) − (turnovers + monthly running costs + fee drag)
Turnovers are estimated from nights ÷ average stay length.
Why 1-night patterns often aren’t profitable
- Cleaning is fixed: it doesn’t shrink just because the stay is short.
- Coordination is fixed: check-in/out, resets, guest comms still happen.
- More churn: more stays usually means more small issues and replacements.
A 2-night minimum is a common UK baseline because it spreads turnover costs and usually improves both margin and operations.
Seasonal utility reality
Winter months can change cashflow fast (especially larger homes). That’s why this page includes a simple seasonal toggle — it’s not perfect, but it stops you under-budgeting.
Want to start from revenue first, then profit? Try the holiday let income calculator.
How to calculate holiday let profit (step-by-step)
- Accommodation revenue: ADR × booked nights.
- Turnovers: booked nights ÷ average stay length (rounded up).
- Guest cleaning fee (optional): turnovers × guest-paid cleaning fee (revenue side).
- Turnover costs: cleaning (and linen if separate) × turnovers.
- Monthly running costs: utilities (season-adjusted), maintenance, insurance & fixed costs.
- Fee drag + management: platform fee/commission + optional management and mortgage costs.
- Profit: total revenue − total costs. Then test what happens if average stay length drops toward 1 night.
UK profit tips that move the number
- Protect margin with minimum nights: 2-night minimums often outperform “busy calendars” full of 1-night stays.
- Review cleaning economics: if cleaning per stay is high, short stays need higher nightly rates to stay profitable.
- Seasonal budgeting: winter utilities can materially change net profit, especially in larger properties.
- Fee strategy: platforms build demand; repeat/direct bookings often reduce fee drag over time.
FAQs
What costs should a UK holiday let profit calculator include?
At minimum: cleaning/turnovers, linen (if separate), utilities, maintenance/consumables, insurance & fixed costs, and booking fees/commission. If you want a realistic cashflow view, add management and mortgage/finance costs too.
Should I allow 1-night stays?
Often not by default. One-night patterns tend to struggle because cleaning and coordination costs are spread over a single night. A 2-night minimum is a common baseline for protecting profit (or price 1-night stays higher).
Do I add guest-paid cleaning fees to revenue?
If you charge a cleaning fee and you keep it (or it offsets your cleaning bill), it’s fair to model it as revenue. This calculator lets you add it per stay, while still subtracting the real cleaning cost on the cost side.
Is “profit” the same as platform payout?
No. Payout is what the platform sends you after host fees/commission. Profit is what’s left after operating the property (turnovers, utilities, maintenance, insurance, management, and optionally mortgage/finance).
How do I increase holiday let profit?
In most cases: improve ADR with better pricing, increase average length of stay (fewer turnovers), control avoidable costs, and build a healthier channel mix over time (repeat/direct bookings usually reduce fee drag).
Estimate your Airbnb income
Get an instant income estimate, then compare it to a long-let to see the potential upside.
Related tools & guides
Useful next steps if you want to go from “profit estimate” → “real plan”.