Holiday Home & Short-Term Rental Property Owner FAQs

The terms all refer to the same ‘type’ of rental arrangement, this being the rental of your furnished property with council tax, utilities and bills included. The rental agreement is by Licence and the home is not the primary resident of the guest. Airbnb and Booking.com are what we call ‘Online Travel Agents’ or OTA’s. They are just one channel amongst many that you can use to market your property.
A successful agent will have a wide range of marketing channels which include OTA’s, the agent’s own website, direct mailing, social media and email campaigns to previous guests.

A Short-let (or Airbnb-style rental) is a furnished property let for a defined period, usually with utilities, council tax, and amenities included, and not used as the guest’s main home.
A Residential Let involves a tenant with legal rights of occupation, where the property is their primary residence.
The distinction also lies in the type of agreement:
• Short Lets use a licence agreement, giving guests permission to occupy the property without creating a tenancy.
• Residential Lets use a tenancy agreement (e.g. an Assured Shorthold Tenancy or Company Let), which grants exclusive possession, requires rent, and covers a fixed or periodic term.
The Renters Reform Bill (2025) will end fixed-term tenancies, introducing rolling arrangements with new conditions for ending a tenancy.
Most private tenancies are Assured Shorthold Tenancies, offering statutory protection to tenants. (University accommodation is an exception.)
This is general guidance only and not professional advice.

That depends on your property’s location, size, and condition.
If it’s available year-round, your income after servicing, linen, and cleaning costs will usually exceed that from a residential let. However, if you’re looking at net income (the cash left after all fees and expenses), only some properties outperform long-term rentals. Many simply match, and some fall short.
Properties most likely to earn more typically have:
• Year-round appeal
• A mix of UK and overseas guests
• Parking
• High-quality décor, furnishings, and equipment
• Good maintenance suited to their target market
The choice between short-term and residential letting also depends on practical factors, such as how often you need access to the property or whether you wish to grant long-term tenancy rights.
Key Points:
• Short-term lets are legally permitted in Oxford.
• With the right permissions and landlord-practices, property-owners can operate responsibly and gain rental income.
Considerations:
• Oxford City Council is pushing for implementation of a planning class for short-term rentals.
• The Oxford City Council has placed enforcement orders on a very small number of short-term rental properties about which it revoked many noise and other complaints.
• Business‐rates vs. council-tax status may apply depending on availability/let days.

The answer to this question depends very much on the reason why you are investing in a property and upon location.
If you are investing in a property for your personal use as a holiday home and considering rentals for times of the year when you are not there, then your personal preferences are likely to be an important factor.
A rural property is likely to have different requirements than a property in an urban environment. As a rule of thumb the following factors apply.
Rural homes:
• Access to a pub.
• Things to do as a family if the home is three or four bedrooms or more.
• Local walks.
• Hot tub.
• Excellent Wi-Fi.
• Pet friendly.
Urban homes:
• Parking.
• Free from any restrictive covenants around use as a short term rental.
• Access to town centre or places of work such as business or science parks.
• Excellent Wi-Fi.
• Good public transport links.
Don’t forget that in most cases the purchase of a property is a significant investment and one of the key considerations may be around the potential increase in asset value.

As a landlord there are a number of regulations that you are legally required to comply with before renting out your home, whether this is a room in a shared house or a separate dwelling. These are typically around:
• Electrical safety (EICR and PAT testing).
• Fire Safety.
• Gas and carbon Monoxide safety.
• Energy Performance (EPC).
Whilst Airbnb does not make any checks on whether you are compliant or not, at Short Let Space we are keen advocates of best practice and will require you to provide evidence that you have met the above requirements.
Our blog post on Your Legal Requirements as a Landlord is most helpful first step.

Serious damage in short-term rentals is very rare. Most guests treat properties with great care, often more carefully than long-term tenants, as they’re staying for a short visit and want to enjoy their time.
At Short Let Space, we’re proactive in protecting every home we manage. We use a combination of “soft-vetting” and guest screening to help ensure bookings come from responsible travellers. Our team also carries out regular inspections, professional housekeeping, and detailed check-in/out reports so that any minor issues are spotted early.
That said, short-term letting is a commercial activity, and the possibility of accidental damage can never be completely ruled out. For that reason, we recommend every owner keeps appropriate insurance in place and sets aside a modest reserve for general wear and tear or quick repairs.
Our Damage Waiver and Claims Fund schemes are designed to make the process simple and stress-free, meaning that, if something does go wrong, you’re covered and your property can be restored quickly.
In short: with good management, solid insurance, and a practical approach, the risk of damage is minimal and fully manageable.

The taking of up front damage deposits has largely become redundant in favour of other forms of protection, unless your guests are staying for a longer period of time.
Damages are relatively rare and we advise owners to ‘set aside’ a small % of revenue to help cover wear and tear, replacements and minor damages. Short Let Space offers a minor damage protection to owners up to a value between £100 to £400 defending on the size of the property. This can cover any minor damages and also cases where additional cleaning is required.
Claims on the fund are surprisingly uncommon, but it provides us with a quick and hassle free way of recompensing you. We can then decide whether we want to claim anything back from your guests.
Whilst minor damages can be annoying, the cost and time and resulting negative guest review means that it is often more simple for us to cover the cost.
Home and accidental damage insurance is a requirement of operating a short let, and you may decide to use your insurance in the event of any significant claim.

Cancellation terms vary depending on the channel through which the guest booked, type of property and the flexibility of the owner.

This is a question we are often asked. It comes down to what your preferences are and whether you wish to be close to the property or not and your available time to spend on your home.

Option 1 – DIY – Do it yourself
Pros: Great for control in which you can manage what you want and when. You will have more intimate property knowledge as well as passion and attention to detail relating to the home.
Cons: Managing multiple online channels can be highly time-consuming, and delayed responses to enquiries may result in missed bookings. Without dedicated marketing support, overall reach and occupancy rates are likely to be lower. Hosting guests also requires being available around the clock to handle enquiries or issues as they arise. In addition, limited industry experience can make it challenging to optimise income or identify opportunities to enhance the guest experience.

Option 2 – Use a national agency
Pros: National agencies will have significant marketing reach and brand awareness. The number of bookings will be healthy due to a national market focus, including National TV and Radio campaigns.
Cons: Large national agencies often operate with centralised, finance-driven structures, leaving local offices or teams with limited autonomy. This can lead to reduced local insight and a lack of personal understanding of individual properties and customer needs. Property management is frequently outsourced to third-party providers, resulting in inconsistent service standards. Their commercial priorities can sometimes feel impersonal, with rigid processes, standardised service models, and contracts that primarily serve the agency’s interests.

Option 3 – Use a local partner like Short Let Space
Pros: You will have a dedicated point of contact who knows your property inside and out, ensuring consistent communication and peace of mind. The team offers a strong local presence with deep knowledge of the Oxford area, supported by targeted marketing that includes outreach to local businesses and potential B2B partnerships. Your property benefits from full exposure across all major online marketing channels and advanced pricing technology – matching national standards but tailored to your local market. The service is personal, flexible, and fully bespoke, with comprehensive property management available through a trusted local brand.
Cons: We don’t think you will find one!

As you would expect this is a common issue and challenge. The bottom line is that we do not allow stag or hen parties and have steps to mitigate this. If you have a property that is particularly suited to this market, please discuss this with us and we will ensure that all opportunities are maximised. Please note that under law, we are not allowed to block single sex parties, but we do make clear some important guidelines, which are repeated in property information sent out to guests before arriving. Failure to comply with these rules could lead to guests being asked to leave.

A question we are often asked! Getting the styling and furnishing your property investment in the right way is vital as this is what people not only see when they stay at the property but it is what gets you the bookings in the first instance (via the online images and high quality images will improve your algorithm status too!) so it is critical to get “the look” spot on. We also appreciate that this is your property and not a hotel so it’s a balancing act of aesthetic with practicality too. Short Let Space can offer help and advice on kitting out your Oxford short let as well as your cool Cotswolds’ cottage, and we can do this through our experience or we can put you in contact with local interior designers and specialists to give your property a professional touch.

There is so much to consider when looking to buy a holiday let. Careful consideration should be given to the location, size, and style of the property. At Short Let Space we have many years of Oxford and Cotswolds’ property experience, we can assist with your search, guiding you through the places to look and to avoid.
We can also offer advice to find a suitable investment property. We work with estate agents, developers and buyers looking to invest in high-performing short let homes. We’re happy to advise on potential yields and suitability.