Long Or Short
Of
GoodPropertyLondon
Here's an at-a-glance guide to the differences between letting your property on a long or short basis.
There are several types of short let but here we compare the Airbnb-type that we help owners and capitalise on.
| Long Let | Airbnb-Type Short Let | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is Letting | Landlord | Host |
| Who is Staying | Tenant - Rental Agreement: Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs) from May 1, 2026. | Guest - Licence To Occupy |
| APTs Coming Into Force May 1, 2026 - Stricter Rules | Eviction Rules APT: Section 21 is abolished. Landlords must now use Section 8 and provide a valid reason for eviction, such as selling the property, moving in themselves, or rent arrears. Notice periods are longer, for example, up to 4 months for certain grounds. Rent Increases APT: Rent can only be increased once per year. Landlords must give at least 2 months’ notice using the Section 13 procedure. Any pre-agreed rent review clauses are no longer valid. Break Clauses APT: Pre-agreed break clauses are no longer valid. Tenancies continue until proper notice is given under the new tenancy rules. Tenancy Renewals APT: There is no option to renew or extend with a fixed term. The tenancy continues on a rolling basis unless ended by either party in accordance with the law. Notice Periods for Ending Tenancy APT: Notice periods are longer for certain grounds, such as 4 months when the landlord is moving in or selling the property. Notices cannot end within the first 12 months of the tenancy. |
No Impact |
| Online advertising | Estate Agent and /or property aggregator website (such as Rightmove and Zoopla). | Short let booking website such as Airbnb. |
| Rent Model | Based on a fixed rate regardless of the number of tenants. | Based on the number of guests staying. |
| Profitability | Lower than Short Let. | Higher than Long Let. |
| Parties to Contract | Landlord and Tenant | Host, booking website and Guest |
| Occupancy | Permanent / continuous | Temporary / multiple |
| Flexibility | None | Short letting can be paused / stopped. For example if you wish to accommodate friends and family visits or if you decide to sell the property. |
| Fees & Costs | Estate agent fee | Airbnb / booking website fee (Total Guest Management) |
| Financial Risk | Credit checking assures low default risk but if the contrary, it can take at least 2 months before eviction process can start with an average court decision of 6 months. Note that in the latest legislation, a no fault eviction is now no longer an avenue to reclaim your property and to find new tenants at an inflated rate. Deposit is also legally capped at 5 weeks’ rent and it must be held in a Deposit Protection Scheme. In case of a disagreement between the Landlord and the Tenant on how much should be withheld from the Deposit, it is the Landlord’s responsibility to substantiate their claim. Those hidden costs are often overlooked when assessing the profitability of long lets: making the flat ready again for letting in case of significant damages, funding the judicial court process,… are often a foregone revenue equivalent to 6 months rent | As payment is charged by the booking Website to the guest in advance, there is no risk of
non payment of the rent. The risk of damage is mitigated by the guests not wanting to receive bad reviews. |
| Level of Effort | There are none other than remedial if the tenant has issues with proper functioning of facilities. | Booking, Reputation Management, Cleaning, Maintenance |
| Conclusion | Long lets provide the comfort of fixed income, are generally hassle free but are less profitable overall. | Short lets require a lot more work both physically and administratively to generate a sustained high net income. |
“I was a bit nervous transitioning from long to short letting having recently decorated the property to a high standard - I didn’t fancy the extra wear tear with all those guests checking in and out!
It turns out that’s a commonly exaggerated perception. Anyway, I know Total Guest Management’s guest screening process and the deep cleaning after each guest checkout equivalent to that you get with the end-of-long-let-tenancy mitigates any risk.”