Holiday let and serviced accommodation finance guides
Plain-English guides to buying, converting, running and financing holiday lets and serviced accommodation in the UK.
These guides cover holiday lets and serviced accommodation end to end: how to buy a holiday let, whether short-term lets are a good investment, what a conversion costs, how to run a holiday let or serviced apartment, how the finance works from bridging to portfolio facilities, and what the UK market data says about occupancy, nightly rates and owner earnings. They are written and reviewed by Matt Lenzie, who has arranged more than £500 million of property finance over 25 years. When you want a real view on a deal, send it to us and we will come back within one working day.
How to buy a holiday let or serviced accommodation: process, deposits and the mortgages that fund it.
How to buy a holiday let
A step-by-step guide to buying a holiday let in the UK: choosing a location, running the numbers, deposits, holiday let mortgages and the rules you need to know before you complete.
Read guide →Holiday let mortgages explained
How holiday let mortgages work in the UK: how lenders size the loan on projected income, typical deposits and rates, eligibility, and how a holiday let mortgage differs from a buy to let.
Read guide →Holiday let deposits
Holiday let deposits explained: typical loan to value and deposit levels, what changes the deposit, raising a deposit from existing property, and the other costs to budget for alongside it.
Read guide →Yields, returns and where a holiday let or short-let investment actually pays in the UK.
Is a holiday let a good investment?
Whether a holiday let is a good investment in the UK: yields, occupancy, running costs and risks, with sourced market data and how investors finance holiday lets after the FHL tax changes.
Read guide →Holiday let yields
UK holiday let yields explained: gross vs net yield, how to work them out, what a realistic return looks like against buy to let, and how yield shapes the mortgage a purchase supports.
Read guide →Best places to buy a holiday let
Where to buy a holiday let in the UK: the factors that make a strong staycation location, coast, country and city hotspots, the regulatory check to run first, and how to finance the purchase.
Read guide →What serviced accommodation is, how it differs from buy to let, and how lenders treat it.
What is serviced accommodation?
Serviced accommodation explained: what counts as SA, how it differs from buy to let and hotels, the operating models, and how lenders and mortgages treat short-let property.
Read guide →Serviced accommodation vs buy to let
Serviced accommodation compared with buy to let: income and void risk, running costs and management, tax and mortgages after the FHL changes, and which model suits which investor.
Read guide →Holiday let rules, the abolished FHL tax regime and the short-term let licensing rules across the UK.
Holiday let rules and licensing
Holiday let rules in the UK explained: the abolished FHL tax regime, planning and use class, mortgage and lease conditions, and short-term let licensing across England, Scotland, Wales and London.
Read guide →The FHL tax changes (2025)
The furnished holiday let (FHL) tax regime was abolished from April 2025. What changed, why it matters, the limited company response, and what holiday let owners should consider now.
Read guide →Short-term let licensing
Short-term let licensing and registration across the UK: the Scottish licensing scheme, the Welsh 182-day test, London's 90-night rule and the new English registration scheme, explained.
Read guide →The finance stack explained: holiday let mortgages, bridging, development and refinance.
Holiday let finance explained
The finance behind holiday lets and serviced accommodation explained: holiday let mortgages, bridging, development and refinance, how lenders size loans, and which product fits which deal.
Read guide →Bridging vs holiday let mortgage
Bridging finance and holiday let mortgages compared: speed, cost, criteria and exits, when a refurbishment or auction purchase needs a bridge, and how deals refinance onto a term mortgage.
Read guide →The UK holiday let and short-let market: demand, occupancy, rates and what it means for borrowers.
Got a holiday let deal in mind?
Send us the outline and we will come back with a view on fundability and likely terms within one working day.