Airbnb vs long-term let: should UK landlords switch in 2026?

It depends on the property, the area and how much work you want. A long-term let pays a steadier monthly rent; an Airbnb-style short let can earn more in a strong location but only when the nights are booked, and you take on furnishing, turnovers, platform fees and compliance. Holiday lets lost their special tax treatment in April 2025, and England's long lets became rolling tenancies on 1 May 2026, so the choice is now mostly about income shape, effort and control.

What is the real difference for a landlord?

A long-term let is usually a single tenancy with rent due every month. Voids still happen between tenants, but the income pattern is simple.

A short let (Airbnb, Booking.com and similar) is night-by-night. You set availability, take bookings from different guests, and reset the home between stays. Gross booking revenue is not the same as money in your account: platforms take a host service fee, and you still fund or pass on cleaning, linen and consumables.

Airbnb's own host-fee guidance says it moved to a single fee structure in 2026. For most hosts that fee is a single 15.5% paid by the host, applied to the nightly price and optional fees such as cleaning or pet fees, and deducted when payout is calculated. See our guide to Airbnb's 15.5% host fee.

What does a long let pay in Bristol, Bath and Cardiff?

The Office for National Statistics publishes average private rents for every council area. Its figures for September 2026, released on 21 October 2026, are:

These are averages across new and existing tenancies. The ONS warns that local housing data are based on a smaller number of properties than its national estimates, so short-term trends are more variable and it is best to look at trends over a year or longer.

Will I earn more on Airbnb than on a long let?

Sometimes. Searches like "airbnb vs long term rental uk" and "airbnb vs long term rental income" are common because owners want a number. Treat national "average Airbnb income" headlines with care: they are not a forecast for your postcode, bedroom count or finish.

There is no official equivalent for short-let earnings, and we will not invent one. The best public data we can share for our cities is for Bristol. Inside Airbnb's snapshot of 22 September 2026 lists 2,932 Bristol listings, of which 2,113 are entire homes. Of the entire homes reviewed in the previous 12 months and showing a price, the median nightly asking price was GBP 155.

Source: Inside Airbnb, Bristol data, 22 September 2026 snapshot, CC BY 4.0. Our count of the listings file; prices are nightly asking prices for a sample stay, not earnings.

That is an asking price, not what hosts earn. What you can compare without inventing a figure:

1. Your current (or expected) annual long-let rent.

2. A realistic short-let case built from comparable local listings, then platform fees and running costs (nights booked, cleaning, utilities, furnishing, and your time or a manager).

3. How many empty nights you can afford in winter.

Occupaid builds owner proposals from comparable local listings. We do not publish AirDNA or Property Market Intel figures on this site. If you want a property-specific view for Bristol, Bath or Cardiff, get your free proposal.

What changed when furnished holiday let tax relief ended?

The government abolished the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax regime. Per GOV.UK:

• Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax: on or after 6 April 2025.

• Corporation Tax: from 1 April 2025.

From the 2025 to 2026 tax year onwards, GOV.UK says income from short-term holiday accommodation and self-catering property is taxed under the usual residential landlord rules, and the previous FHL tax reliefs no longer apply.

HMRC's clarification also says:

• Individual landlords can still get relief for finance and mortgage interest costs, but at the basic rate of Income Tax of 20%, in the same way as other landlords.

• Capital allowances are no longer available on new fixtures, furniture or furnishings; Replacement of Domestic Items Relief applies to replacements instead.

• The repeal does not mean you have to change the way you rent. Council Tax and business rates rules are separate and were not rewritten by the FHL repeal.

So tax is no longer a special reason to prefer a short let over a long let. The commercial case has to stand on bookings and costs.

How did the Renters' Rights Act change long lets?

In England, the Renters' Rights Act changes came into force on 1 May 2026. GOV.UK says:

• all assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, which roll on with no end date

• you can't use section 21 "no fault" evictions any more; you need a legal reason, called a ground for possession, served on a section 8 notice

• notice is usually at least 2 months and can be up to 4 months, depending on the ground

• you can't use the selling or moving-in grounds in the first 12 months of a tenancy

• tenants can give 2 months' notice to end the tenancy at any point (unless a shorter notice period was agreed)

• rent can't be increased more than once a year

GOV.UK also says a tenancy can't be an assured periodic tenancy if the property is a holiday let. With a short let you keep control of the calendar, as long as you honour the bookings you've taken.

Cardiff is different. The Renters' Rights Act applies to England. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 replaced tenancies with occupation contracts, and the standard contract is the default for private landlords.

What else do you need before you switch?

GOV.UK's England guidance for self-catering hosts is a practical checklist. Among other points it says:

• Your local planning authority will decide whether you need planning permission, based on how the property is used for short-term letting and its impact on neighbours and the local area. Contact your council to confirm.

• If the property is rated as a self-catering business, you may need to pay business rates instead of council tax.

• You should have dedicated holiday let insurance, public liability cover, and building and contents cover suitable for short-term letting.

• England's national short-term let register is not yet in force; GOV.UK expects it to begin in March 2027.

Also check, before the first listing goes live:

• Your mortgage terms (many residential or standard buy-to-let deals restrict short-term letting). Nationwide, for example, says that if you want to let your property instead of living in it, you'll need to get permission from them first. Ask your own lender and get the answer in writing.

• Leasehold / freeholder rules if you own a flat.

• Fire, gas and electrical safety duties for paying guests.

• Registration: England's short-let register is expected to begin in March 2027 (see our England register guide). Cardiff hosts must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 March 2027 (see our Wales register guide).

England self-catering day counts for business rates, and Wales's higher 252/182 test, are covered in our existing posts linked below.

How much work is a short let compared with a long let?

A long let needs tenant find, referencing, repairs and periodic compliance. A short let adds, every turnover:

• Clean, linen and restock.

• Calendar and dynamic pricing.

• Guest questions before and during the stay.

• Screening guests by checking reviews from other hosts, plus ID.

• Reviews, damage follow-up and channel messages across platforms.

That is why some owners keep the asset and hire a co-host or management company. Cost is driven by what is included (channels, pricing, cleaning oversight, owner reporting), the property size and how often it turns over. We do not publish Occupaid fees on the blog; get your free proposal for a clear figure on your home.

Airbnb vs long-term let: a simple decision frame

Switch toward a short let if:

• Local demand is real (events, contractors, tourism, universities), not just a hope.

• You can furnish to a guest-ready standard and fund the set-up.

• Your lender, lease and insurer allow it.

• You accept variable months, or you hire someone to run the ops.

• You want to use the home yourself some weeks and can block the calendar.

Stay on a long let (or wait) if:

• You need predictable monthly rent above everything else.

• The area has weak short-stay demand or heavy local restrictions.

• You cannot take on turnovers and guest messaging, and you do not want a manager.

• You are mid-tenancy in England and cannot lawfully recover the property yet.

Want a property-specific answer?

Occupaid offers short-let management in Bristol, Bath and Cardiff, with no long-term lock-in. We co-host existing listings, and we set up and manage new listings for landlords moving from long lets. See our Bristol Airbnb management page, Bath Airbnb management page or Cardiff Airbnb management page, or book a call and we'll prepare a free proposal for your home.

Related reading: the 140/70-day rule for holiday lets in Bristol and Bath, the 252/182-day rule for holiday lets in Cardiff, England's short-term let register status, and Wales visitor accommodation registration.