Corporate Lets vs Short Lets: Which is Better for Your London Property?
Corporate Lets vs Short Lets: Which is Better for Your London Property?
- Short lets generate the highest income per night — but are capped at 90 nights per year in London and demand intensive management
- Corporate mid-term lets (1–6 months) produce stable monthly income, lower management overhead and no void risk through winter
- A hybrid model — short let in peak season, corporate let from September — consistently outperforms either model alone
- Corporate lets sit entirely outside London's 90-day rule and the Renters' Rights Act 2025
- The right balance depends on your property type, location and income priorities
Two Models, One Property — How to Think About It
The question London property owners most often ask is whether to go short let or corporate let. It is understandable — the two models look different on the surface, attract different guests, and involve different management approaches. But framing them as an either/or choice misses the point.
In London, the 90-day short-let rule creates a natural structure. You have 90 nights per year available for short-term letting — and 275 nights that require a different approach. What happens to those 275 nights determines whether your property produces an exceptional annual return or a mediocre one.
Corporate mid-term lets are the natural answer for the non-peak period. Together, the two models produce a year that a single-model approach simply cannot match.
What is a Corporate Let?
A corporate let — also called a mid-term let — is a furnished residential rental of typically 1 to 6 months. The tenant is usually an executive on a project assignment, a professional relocating to London between permanent addresses, or a company housing a member of staff during a transition. Corporate lets sit outside the Renters' Rights Act 2025 framework and outside London's 90-day short-let rule.
Corporate tenants are a distinct profile from both short-let guests and long-term residential tenants. They tend to be well-qualified, introduced through corporate travel platforms or relocation agents, and less intensive to manage than back-to-back short-let bookings. Stays are longer, turnovers are less frequent, and the properties are typically treated with care.
In prime central London, corporate demand runs year-round — but it is particularly strong from September through April, when short-let leisure demand falls and corporate travel picks up. This seasonal pattern aligns neatly with the London short-let calendar.
What is a Short Let?
A short let is a furnished rental of fewer than 90 consecutive nights, typically booked through platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo or direct booking channels. In London, residential properties can be let short-term for up to 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission under the Deregulation Act 2015. Beyond that limit, a change of use application is required.
Short lets generate the highest income per night of any residential letting model — but they are operationally intensive. Each booking requires guest communication, check-in coordination, professional cleaning, linen changeover and post-stay inspection. In peak season with back-to-back bookings, this is a full management commitment.
Short-let demand in London peaks from May through August, driven by international leisure guests, families on school holidays and summer corporate travel. Nightly rates during this period are typically 40–70% higher than the annual average — which is why deploying the 90 available nights across these months, rather than spreading them through the year, is so important to annual income.
"Short lets earn the most per night. Corporate lets earn the most per month of the year. A well-run property does not choose between them."
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Short let | Corporate mid-term let |
|---|---|---|
| Typical duration | 2–14 nights | 1–6 months |
| Income per night | Highest — peak rates in summer | Lower per night, stable monthly total |
| Annual night limit | 90 nights (London planning law) | No limit — sits outside the 90-day rule |
| Management intensity | High — cleaning, turnovers, 24/7 comms | Lower — fewer turnovers, stable tenant |
| Void risk | Higher in low season | Very low — high corporate demand in winter |
| Guest/tenant profile | Leisure, international, families | Executives, relocators, corporate travellers |
| Renters' Rights Act | Outside scope | Outside scope |
| Best season | May – August | September – April |
How the Hybrid Model Works in Practice
Curated Property operates a hybrid model across its London portfolio: short let during peak season to deploy the 90 nights at maximum nightly rates, then corporate mid-term from September as demand shifts and the short-let limit approaches.
The transition is managed proactively — not reactively. Rather than waiting for short-let bookings to slow down, the property is positioned and listed on corporate channels in advance of the autumn changeover. This eliminates void periods and ensures the corporate let is in place before the short-let season ends.
For a two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea, the model looks something like this: 90 short-let nights from May to August at peak rates generate £28,000–£38,000. A corporate let from September through April at £5,500–£7,500 per month adds a further £44,000–£60,000. Combined annual gross income: £72,000–£98,000 — against a long-term tenancy equivalent of £38,000–£48,000 per year.
Hybrid model income — illustrative 2-bed Chelsea apartment
| Period | Model | Estimated gross income |
|---|---|---|
| May – August (90 nights) | Short let, peak season | £28,000–£38,000 |
| September – April (8 months) | Corporate mid-term let | £44,000–£60,000 |
| Annual total (gross) | Hybrid model | £72,000–£98,000 |
When a Corporate-Only or Short-Let-Only Approach Makes Sense
The hybrid model suits most prime central London properties — but there are circumstances where a single-model approach is appropriate.
Corporate-only makes sense for owners who want minimal operational involvement, who are not available to support a short-let management process, or whose property or circumstances are not well suited to back-to-back short-let turnovers. A well-placed two-bedroom let to corporate tenants year-round at £6,000–£8,000 per month produces a strong, predictable income with very low management overhead.
Short-let-only is rarely advisable in London given the 90-day cap. An owner who deploys all 90 nights in summer and then has an empty property from September to April is leaving significant income on the table. The only scenario where short-let-only makes financial sense is where the property is also owner-occupied for part of the year — using the non-let periods for personal use rather than additional income.
A note on corporate lets and the Renters' Rights Act: Corporate mid-term lets structured correctly — as a licence to occupy rather than an assured tenancy — sit outside the scope of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. This is an important distinction. Curated Property structures all mid-term corporate lets appropriately. If you are considering a corporate let arrangement independently, take legal advice on the correct tenancy structure before proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get the most from your London property, year-round.
Curated Property manages the full annual cycle — short let in peak season, corporate let through winter. Talk to the team about a strategy for your property.
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