How to Prepare Your London Property for the Short-Let Market
Curated Property Journal · Owner Guide · London
How to Prepare Your London Property for the Short-Let Market
Getting a London property truly short-let ready is more involved than most owners expect. The gap between a property that earns five-star reviews and one that earns three-star reviews is almost never about the property itself — it's about the preparation.
What This Guide Covers
- Legal and safety certificates required before you can legally short-let in London
- The interior standards guests expect at premium price points — room by room
- Technology setup: keyless entry, WiFi, noise monitoring and smart home basics
- How to prepare your property for professional photography
- The documentation every short-let property needs before the first guest arrives
- How Curated Property handles all of this on behalf of new owners
Why Preparation Matters More Than Most Owners Expect
There is a common assumption among property owners entering the short-let market that the property's quality will carry the listing. A beautiful mews house, a well-positioned Chelsea townhouse, a high-specification Marylebone apartment — surely the property sells itself?
It doesn't. Or rather, it does — but only as far as getting the first booking. What happens at that first check-in, and in the 48 hours that follow, determines whether that guest leaves a five-star review or a four-star one. And in the short-let market, the distance between five stars and four stars is not cosmetic. It is the difference between being listed at the top of Airbnb search results and being listed on page three. Between the rate you can charge and the rate you have to accept to compete.
Preparation is not about spending a great deal of money. It is about knowing what guests at premium price points expect — and making sure your property consistently delivers it.
"The properties that consistently outperform have one thing in common: an owner who treated the preparation as seriously as the listing. A guest paying £500 a night notices whether the spare pillows are good. Whether the kitchen drawer has a corkscrew. Whether there's a full-length mirror in the bedroom."
The Preparation Timeline
Most properties require four to eight weeks of preparation before they're ready to list. Below is a typical timeline for a new Curated Property onboarding.
Weeks 1–2
Legal certificates ordered, property audit completed, remedial works identified
Weeks 2–5
Interior upgrades, technology installation, deep clean, linen ordered, welcome pack prepared
Week 6
Professional photography, listing written, pricing strategy set, first bookings open
The Complete Preparation Checklist
Work through each category in order. Legal and safety items are non-negotiable — they must be in place before your first guest arrives. Interior and technology items determine your review scores and therefore your long-term revenue.
● Legal & Safety
Required by law
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)Required annually if the property has gas. Must be issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer. No short-let bookings can legally proceed without a valid certificate.
Annual
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)Required for all rental properties. Must be carried out by a qualified electrician. Valid for up to five years but should be renewed after any significant electrical work.
Every 5 yrs
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)Properties must have a valid EPC rated E or above to be legally let. EPC ratings also affect your listing's appeal — an A or B rating is worth highlighting.
Every 10 yrs
Smoke detectors on every floorInterlinked smoke detectors are recommended. Test all detectors and replace batteries before the first guest. Keep a log of test dates.
Required
Carbon monoxide detectorRequired in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas boiler, fire). Must be present and tested before occupancy.
Required
Fire extinguisher and fire blanketA dry powder or CO2 extinguisher in the kitchen, plus a fire blanket. Both must be in date and visible. Replace if more than five years old.
Recommended
Confirm London 90-day short-let allowanceLondon properties can be short-let for up to 90 nights per year without planning permission. Confirm your property's allowance — some boroughs track this and apply penalties for exceeding it.
Required
Check leasehold restrictionsIf your property is leasehold, check your lease for clauses prohibiting short-term letting. Many London leases — especially in mansion blocks — include such restrictions. Breaching them can void your insurance and trigger legal action.
Critical
Update home insurance for short-let useStandard home insurance does not cover short-let use. You need a specialist short-let or holiday let policy. Some platforms (Airbnb AirCover) provide supplementary cover but this should not replace a proper policy.
Required
⚠ Leasehold — the most commonly missed issue
Approximately 70% of London flats are leasehold. Of these, a significant proportion have lease clauses that prohibit or restrict subletting. This is the most commonly overlooked legal issue in short-let preparation — and the consequences of missing it are serious. Check your lease before spending anything else on preparation.
● Bedrooms
Guest experience
Quality mattress in good conditionMemory foam or pocket sprung, no more than 5 years old. Guests paying premium rates notice the difference immediately. A mattress protector should be fitted under the sheet.
Two complete linen sets per bedMinimum 400 thread count. Two sets allows clean linen to be fitted while one set is being laundered. Pillowcases and duvet cover must match.
Four quality pillows per double bedTwo firm, two soft — or four medium. Guests arrive with a preference. Pillow protectors under the pillowcases are essential for hygiene and longevity.
Quality duvet (10.5 tog minimum)A lightweight and a heavier duvet, or a 10.5 tog all-season duvet. Keep a spare in the wardrobe for guests who run cold.
Blackout blind or curtains in all bedroomsLondon summers mean early light. Guests from overseas may be jet-lagged. Blackout is not optional at premium price points — it is expected.
Bedside tables with accessible charging pointsOne on each side of a double bed, with at least one USB-A and one USB-C port accessible. Guests charge phones overnight. Trailing cables across the floor are a review mention waiting to happen.
Adequate wardrobe space with wooden hangersMinimum 12 quality wooden hangers per wardrobe. Drawers emptied and lined. Guests staying more than two nights will unpack — make it easy.
Full-length mirror in at least one bedroomNon-negotiable for any premium listing. Ideally one in every bedroom.
● Kitchen
Guest experience
Full quality cookware setNon-stick pans in excellent condition — replace if scratched or worn. A frying pan, sauté pan, two saucepans, a casserole dish and a baking tray as a minimum.
Six full place settings of crockery and cutleryMatching sets. No chipped plates, no mismatched mugs. Include side plates, soup bowls and pasta bowls. Minimum six wine glasses and six champagne flutes.
Quality coffee machineNespresso is the minimum acceptable at premium price points. Bean-to-cup (Sage, De'Longhi) is strongly preferred. Stock with capsules or beans, and include a manual alternative (cafetière or AeroPress) for guests who prefer it.
Quality knife set with honing steelA good chef's knife, bread knife, paring knife and steak knives. Stored safely and sharpened. Blunt knives are a persistent guest complaint.
Complete utensil setWooden spoon, slotted spoon, ladle, spatula, whisk, tongs, peeler, grater, colander, mixing bowls. If a guest wants to cook properly, they should be able to.
Cooking essentials stockedOlive oil, salt, pepper, basic spices, washing-up liquid, dishwasher tablets, bin liners, kitchen roll and a full roll of cling film and foil. Replenished between every stay.
Kettle and toaster in good conditionDescale the kettle before photography and between stays. Matching appliances look better in photos and feel more considered.
● Bathrooms
Guest experience
Heated towel rail operationalElectric or plumbed — it must work. Check the timer and confirm it heats on arrival. Cold towels are a recurring review complaint.
Two bath towel sets per guest capacityBath towel, hand towel and face cloth per person, plus one spare set in the cupboard. Hotel-weight (600gsm minimum). Matching colour — white or stone.
Quality toiletries stockedShampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand soap — branded, not supermarket own-label. A small diffuser or reed diffuser in each bathroom adds to the sense of care. Replenished between every stay.
Hairdryer (1800W minimum) in every bathroomWall-mounted or stored in the vanity. Ensure the cord is long enough to reach the mirror. A underpowered hairdryer is a surprisingly common negative review.
Iron and ironing board stored accessiblyA quality steam iron (Philips or Tefal) with a full-size ironing board. Stored in a wardrobe or utility space and mentioned in the house manual.
All grout and silicone in good conditionDiscoloured grout and peeling silicone show up vividly in professional photography — and in person. Re-grout and re-silicone any tired areas before the photoshoot.
● Technology
Operations & guest experience
Fast, reliable WiFi (100Mbps minimum)Test speeds in every room. If signal is weak in bedrooms, add a mesh node or extender. Display the network name and password prominently in the welcome pack and on a card by the router.
Smart TV with streaming apps installedNetflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Apple TV as a minimum. Create a guest profile on each service to avoid recommending your own watch history. Ensure the remote is clearly labelled.
Keyless entry or secure key safeA smart lock (Yale, Igloohome, Nuki) generates unique codes per guest and removes the need for physical handovers. A key safe is acceptable but smart locks are strongly preferred — they are more secure, log entries, and integrate with management platforms.
Noise monitoring deviceMinut or a similar device monitors decibel levels without recording conversations. Essential for protecting your property in shared buildings and alerting your management team to potential issues before they become complaints.
Smart thermostatNest or Hive allows remote temperature management and scheduling — useful for ensuring the property is warm on arrival without running heating continuously between stays. Guest-facing controls should be simple and clearly explained.
All remotes labelled and batteries freshEvery remote in the property — TV, blinds, heating, air conditioning — should be labelled and have fresh batteries. Keep a set of spare batteries in a kitchen drawer.
● Photography Preparation
Listing performance
Professional deep clean before the shootA full hotel-standard clean — not a tidy. Every surface, inside every cupboard that will be opened, behind every appliance. The camera sees everything.
Remove all personal items and family photographsThe property should feel like a high-quality hotel suite, not someone's home. Personal items (family photos, toiletries, post) should be stored away entirely before the shoot.
Dress the property intentionallyFresh flowers on the kitchen counter and dining table. A book and reading glasses on the bedside table. A folded blanket on the sofa arm. These details communicate warmth and care in photographs.
Fold towels hotel-style in all bathroomsFolded end out on the towel rail, with a face cloth folded decoratively on top. This costs nothing and photographs dramatically better than towels hung casually.
All lights on, curtains and blinds openEvery light in every room should be switched on for the shoot. Natural light from open windows plus warm artificial light creates the inviting quality that distinguishes professional listing photos.
Hide all cables and chargersPhone chargers, laptop cables, TV cables along the skirting — all should be hidden or cable-managed before the shoot and before each stay.
● Documentation
Guest experience
House manual — how everything worksEvery appliance, every quirk, every system in the property explained clearly. Boiler operation, washing machine settings, dishwasher instructions, TV input selection, how to operate the blinds, where the fuse box is. Written for someone who has never been in the building.
Local area guide — written specifically for your locationNot a generic tourist leaflet — a genuine guide to the restaurants, cafés, pubs, food shops, markets, parks and transport links within ten minutes of the property. Updated seasonally. This is the document that generates five-star "local knowledge" mentions in reviews.
Emergency contacts clearly displayedManagement team contact (24/7), local GP and nearest A&E, emergency plumber and electrician, building concierge or management company if applicable. Posted inside a cupboard door in the kitchen.
Bin and recycling instructionsCollection days, which bin takes which waste, where the bins are stored and how to access the bin area. This sounds minor — but "left rubbish unclear" is a recurring issue in guest reviews and neighbour complaints.
House rules clearly communicated before bookingNo smoking, no parties, pet policy, noise curfew, maximum occupancy. These must appear in the listing and be confirmed at the point of booking — not just left in the house manual.
● The detail that separates good from exceptional
The properties that consistently earn five-star reviews have one thing in common beyond the checklist above: a welcome gift. A bottle of wine, a small selection of artisan chocolates, a handwritten note from the management team. It costs less than £20 and generates more goodwill per pound than almost anything else you can do. Every Curated Property guest receives one on arrival.
How Curated Property Handles Onboarding
For owners who work with Curated Property, the preparation process is managed entirely by our team. We begin with a full property audit — working through every item on this checklist, identifying what's in place and what needs attention. We coordinate remedial works, supply procurement, technology installation, professional photography and listing creation. Most new properties are ready to take their first booking within six weeks of the initial conversation.
Owners are not expected to project-manage the onboarding themselves. We provide a clear timeline, manage all contractors and suppliers, and present the property for owner approval before it goes live. The goal is a listing that opens with the quality of photography, copywriting and guest setup that generates five-star reviews from the first stay — not from the fifth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What legal certificates do I need to short-let my London property?
To legally short-let a London property you need, at minimum: a valid Gas Safety Certificate (CP12, renewed annually if the property has gas), an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR, valid for up to five years), an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC, rated E or above), working smoke detectors on every floor, and a carbon monoxide detector in any room with a combustion appliance. You must also confirm your property's 90-day short-let allowance under London's planning rules and check your home insurance covers short-let use. Leasehold properties must also confirm the lease does not prohibit subletting.
How long does it take to prepare a London property for short-let?
Most London properties require four to eight weeks of preparation before they are ready to list. The timeline depends on the condition of the property, the certificates required, whether any interior upgrades or technology installation is needed, and how quickly professional photography can be scheduled. Curated Property manages the full onboarding process and typically takes new properties live within six weeks of the initial property audit.
Can I short-let my leasehold London flat?
Many leasehold London flats can be short-let, but many cannot — it depends on the specific terms of your lease. Approximately 70% of London flats are leasehold, and a significant proportion have clauses that prohibit or restrict subletting. You must check your lease before spending any money on preparation. If your lease prohibits short-letting and you proceed anyway, you risk voiding your insurance, breaching your mortgage terms (if applicable) and facing legal action from your freeholder or management company.
What do guests at premium London short-lets expect?
Guests paying premium rates for London short-lets — typically £300 to £800+ per night for mews houses, townhouses and high-specification apartments — expect hotel-quality linen and towels, a fully equipped kitchen with quality appliances, fast and reliable WiFi, smart TV with streaming services, blackout curtains in all bedrooms, quality toiletries, a hairdryer in every bathroom, keyless entry, a comprehensive house manual, and a curated local area guide. The details that generate five-star reviews include an arrival welcome gift, fresh flowers and charging points accessible from the bed.
Do I need a noise monitoring device for my short-let property?
Noise monitoring devices are strongly recommended for London short-let properties, particularly those in apartment buildings or terraced streets with shared walls. Devices such as Minut monitor decibel levels without recording conversations, alerting your management team if noise exceeds a set threshold. They protect your relationship with neighbours, reduce the risk of formal complaints, and are increasingly expected by professional short-let management companies. Curated Property installs noise monitoring as standard across all managed properties.
What is a short-let property checklist for London?
A short-let property checklist for London covers seven areas: (1) Legal and safety certificates — gas safety, EICR, EPC, smoke and CO detectors, leasehold check, insurance; (2) Bedroom standards — mattress quality, linen thread count, blackout blinds, charging points; (3) Kitchen equipment — cookware, place settings, coffee machine, knife set, cooking essentials; (4) Bathroom standards — heated towel rail, towel sets, toiletries, hairdryer; (5) Technology — keyless entry, fast WiFi, smart TV, noise monitoring, smart thermostat; (6) Photography preparation — deep clean, declutter, dressing, lighting; (7) Documentation — house manual, local area guide, emergency contacts, house rules.
Let Curated Property handle your onboarding.
We manage the full preparation process — audit, certificates, interior, technology, photography, listing. You approve the result. We take the first booking.
Talk to the Team