Long Let or Short Stay?

A Practical Guide to Choosing the Right Route for Your London Property

Wondering what an empty property should now do for you?

This complimentary guide offers a calm, practical comparison of a residential tenancy and professionally managed short stays for London property owners.

It explains the permissions, responsibilities, operating costs and practical demands attached to each route, helping you look beyond headline income and decide what genuinely suits the property and your own plans.

Whether the property came to you through inheritance, relocation, a change in family circumstances or a first investment, the guide is designed to help you approach the decision with greater clarity and fewer unwelcome surprises.

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What’s Inside the Guide?

A residential tenancy and short stays can both produce income, but they operate very differently. Understanding those differences before you commit can save time, expense and unnecessary uncertainty.

Inside the guide, you’ll find:

• How your lease, mortgage, insurance and local rules can limit the available options

• What a residential tenancy involves under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025

• The principal safety, documentation and licensing responsibilities for landlords

• What qualifies as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and when local licensing may apply

• How short stays operate and what the London 90-night rule actually means

• The role of seasonality, occupancy and realistic nightly-rate assumptions

• How the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime affects the comparison

• Why net income matters more than headline rent or nightly rate

• The practical differences between self-management and professional management

• What to consider about tenants, guests and neighbours

• How easily you can change from one route to the other

• How your own plans for the property should shape the decision

The aim isn’t to choose for you or replace legal, tax, financial, mortgage, insurance or planning advice. It is to help you ask the right questions in a calmer order and identify where specialist advice is needed.

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide is for new and existing landlords, including accidental landlords who have inherited a property, retained a home after relocating, received one through a divorce settlement or are considering their first investment.

It will also be useful if you already let property but are wondering whether a different route could offer a better fit. You do not need to have made the decision before you begin; understanding what each option requires is the useful first step.

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A Local, Personal Approach

Wendy Obuli Property offers independent property guidance to sellers, buyers and landlords, with a particular focus on West and Northwest London.

If you are deciding between a residential tenancy and professionally managed short stays, the initial conversation can begin with the property, your priorities and the permissions that may shape the choice. Residential lettings can be supported through the iAD network, while suitable short-stay properties can be referred to WOP’s specialist short-stay management partner.