Holiday let or long-term rent: which suits you?

Comparing €120 per night with €1,000 per month looks straightforward. Multiplying the nightly rate by thirty often creates an expectation the calendar will not meet: there are empty days, costs and work.

The useful question is how much is left after costs, how much time each option needs and whether you want to use the property yourself. First, confirm the home can be used for the letting model you are considering.

Revenue is not money in the bank

Long-term letting usually means a monthly rent and fewer transactions. Holiday letting brings more bookings but also cleans, platforms, maintenance, replacements and time for messages, check-ins and issues.

If you use the property for holidays or weekends, those nights are not for sale. They belong on the calendar from the start, like maintenance days.

An example to see the order of magnitude

The figures below are illustrative assumptions. They are not Maresme prices, a hoclau offer or a client’s results.

Long-term: €1,000 per month for 12 months and €2,000 costs per year. Holiday: €120 achieved average nightly rate, variable costs equivalent to 30% of revenue and €3,000 more per year. The 30% is a teaching bundle, not a management fee. On a real property you replace it with cleans, platforms, consumables and other non-recoverable costs.

With these numbers, each holiday night leaves €84 after the 30% variable share. To match the long-term example’s €10,000 you would need about 155 sold nights. If the rate falls or costs rise, that figure changes. In low season, adding nights at the same price is not enough on its own.

Long-term letting is sensitive too: one month without rent cuts €1,000 in this example, before adjusting costs. Neither option should be judged on its best-case scenario alone.

Time, risk and using the home yourself

Holiday letting needs more coordination: check-ins, cleaning, messages and issues. Long-term letting has less turnover, but an empty month or unpaid rent still hurts. There is damage, cancelled bookings and weeks without demand. Neither model is always more profitable or problem-free.

Choose based on the property, demand in your area, real costs and how you want to use it. If personal use comes first, block those dates. If stability comes first, weigh the work you are willing to take on. Replace the example with your figures: service charges, insurance, utilities, maintenance and platform fees, without double-counting.