10 Tips for Letting Out Your Holiday Home

Letting out your holiday home is a smart way to make ownership work harder for you. The income can meaningfully offset your running costs when your property sits in a location that other people genuinely want to visit.

Done well, letting requires very little effort on your part and delivers real financial return.

Whether you’re considering letting for the first time or looking to get more from your current arrangement, these ten tips for letting out your holiday home will help you get it right.

Key takeaways:

• Make sure your home is safe and ready for others. 
• The highest impact you can make is a proper photoshoot on a bright day.
• Pricing should move with the seasons. Peak weeks in Cornwall and Norfolk command a premium; shoulder season is also viable.
• Keep control of your own calendar. A good managed letting service should work around your dates, not the other way around.

1. Decide how hands-on you want to be

Before anything, decide how much involvement you want in the letting process. There are broadly two routes: 

1. Managing lets yourself
2. Using a fully managed letting service

Self-managed letting gives you direct control over pricing, bookings and guest communication. But it means being available to answer questions and coordinate cleaning and key handover – often at short notice.

A fully managed letting service handles everything on your behalf – marketing your property, managing bookings, greeting guests, cleaning after each stay and maintaining your home.

If you own a holiday home through Lovat Parks, this is where a service like Love To Let comes into it. You simply submit the dates you want to make your home available, and the park’s team does the rest. 

As owner David, who lets his Padstow lodge through Love To Let, puts it: “They take all the responsibility of managing it, letting it, cleaning it – and it’s working.”

2. Get your safety certificates sorted first

Before you let your holiday home to paying guests, you must ensure it meets the relevant legal safety requirements. These include:

• Gas Safety Certificate – an annual check and service of all gas appliances, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – a periodic test of all fixed wiring, typically required every five years.
• Portable Appliance Test (PAT) – testing of all portable electrical appliances (toasters, kettles, hairdryers, lamps and so on).
• Fire safety – working smoke alarms on each floor, a carbon monoxide detector where required and a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen.

Keeping on top of safety compliance protects your guests, your home and your legal position – and it’s one of the first things any letting agent or managed service will ask about.

If you go through Love To Let, Lovat Parks supports owners in understanding and meeting these requirements.

3. Invest in presentation – especially photography

First impressions in holiday home letting happen online, before anyone has walked through your door. The quality of your photos impacts the number of bookings you receive and the rate you can charge.

Steps that make a difference:

• Photograph on a bright day with all internal lights on. Dark, grey photos undermine even a beautiful property.
• Declutter before the shoot. Remove personal items, fridge magnets, chargers and anything that makes the space feel like someone else’s home.
• Style the outdoor space. A set table on the deck, cushions on garden chairs, a plant or two – outdoor spaces are huge selling points in Cornwall and Norfolk especially.
• Highlight your best asset. Sea views, a hot tub, original features, a log burner – whatever your property’s standout quality is, lead with it.

4. Price by season – especially in Cornwall

Holiday home letting income is highly seasonal, and pricing should reflect that. Peak weeks in Cornwall and Norfolk command higher rates than the shoulder seasons, and ‘dynamic pricing’ – adjusting rates based on demand – is the route to take.

When holiday home letting in Cornwall and the south-west:

• Peak season (late July to August bank holiday) is when to charge your highest rates. Demand reliably outstrips supply in prime locations.
• Spring half term and Easter bring demand. Price accordingly.
• Shoulder season (May–June, September–October): Good occupancy possible, particularly for dog-friendly or activity-focused properties. A small reduction from peak rates maintains bookings.
• Off-peak (November–March): Lower rates, but fixtures like a cosy log burner and a dog-friendly policy can keep occupancy higher than most owners expect.

If you let through a managed service, they will typically handle pricing for you.

5. Make it dog-friendly

If your holiday home allows dogs, say so loudly and often. Dog-friendly holiday homes typically command a premium, book out faster and attract guests who are after longer stays.

Especially in regions with sweeping coastlines and rolling hills (think Norfolk and Cornwall), guests are always keen to bring their pups.

Carefully placing a token dog bed, toy or water bowl in your photos signals you are open to hosting pets. 

Small touches are also worth thinking about: a list of nearby dog-friendly beaches and pubs, an area for drying off muddy dogs.

6. Write honest, detailed listing copy

The majority of guest disputes and negative reviews arise from mismatched expectations. If you say ‘sea views’, the ocean should be in sight. ‘Modern facilities’ mean up-to-date appliances.

Write your listing copy honestly and specifically:

• State the true distances to beaches, town centres and key attractions.
• Be clear how many people the home sleeps (and if this involves sofa or pull-out beds)
• Mention if the property isn’t suitable for young children
• Note any quirks e.g. how long the heating or outdoor hot tub takes to warm up

Honest copy protects you from complaints and attracts guests who will genuinely enjoy the property – who in turn leave good reviews and are more likely to rebook.

7. Build a reliable cleaning and maintenance routine

Things can break. A wine glass, a plate, occasionally something bigger. Having a plan in place before it happens avoids stress.

Options include:

• A guest damage deposit – either held against a card or taken upfront and refunded after the stay
• A damage waiver fee – a small addition to the booking cost that covers accidental minor damage without the admin of a deposit process
• A comprehensive repair cover plan

For Lovat Parks owners letting through Love To Let, an optional Repair Cover Plan is available (£300 for holiday homes, £500 for lodges) that covers damage and loss occurring during managed lets. A single annual fee that removes the worry entirely.

Remember to document the condition of your home with dated photographs before each letting season. This protects you if anything more serious occurs and a claim is needed.

9. Use guest reviews actively

Reviews are the currency of holiday letting. A property with 20 four-and-five-star reviews will consistently get bookings.

To build your reviews:

• Follow up with guests after their stay with a brief, warm message asking them to leave a review if they enjoyed themselves.
• Make the review process easy – include a direct link.
• Respond to all reviews, positive and negative.
• If a review raises a legitimate point, it’s best to fix it and mention what you have done in your response. 

10. Know what you can keep for yourself

When letting through a park’s managed service, you can set your own calendar. With Love To Let, you decide which dates you want to make available for letting – and when you’re going to stay at your place.

You submit your chosen letting dates, Lovat Parks confirms them in writing, manages all the bookings, and pays income to your owner account (net of site fees if applicable). You can withdraw earnings or hold them in your account for a future visit. And at all times, your home is managed by a team who knows it and cares about it.

For owners in Cornwall, the New Forest and Norfolk, Love To Let is available through the park team. 

For lodge owners looking to maximise income in their first year, ask about our Guaranteed Letting Scheme – a structure where pre-agreed letting dates generate confirmed income that can be put towards the cost of your purchase.

Tips for letting out your holiday home in Cornwall: What’s different?

Letting out your holiday home in Cornwall comes with its own advantages.

Demand is exceptional. Cornwall is the UK’s most visited holiday destination, and coastal properties in north Cornwall especially (around Padstow, Mawgan Porth and Newquay) can achieve some of best rental yields in the country. Peak summer weeks are almost always fully booked well in advance.

The dog-friendly market is huge. Many Cornwall holiday-goers travel with dogs. A dog-friendly property in Cornwall with easy beach access commands a meaningful premium.

The shoulder season is strong. Cornwall’s mild climate and year-round appeal for walking, surfing, cycling and food tourism means the shoulder season (May–June, September–October) is far more viable than in many other UK letting markets. Don’t undervalue these months.

Start Letting Through Love To Let

If you’re a Lovat Parks owner and haven’t yet explored letting through Love To Let, speak to your dedicated park contact. They’ll walk you through the process and answer any questions.

If you’re considering holiday home ownership and the ability to let your home to offset costs is part of what appeals – that’s exactly how Love To Let is designed to work. Many of our owners find that letting for as few as four to six weeks in peak season covers their annual site fees and leaves additional income on top.

Find out more about Love To Let

FAQs: Letting out your holiday home

How to make your holiday home stand out?

A good starting place is: photography, dog-friendliness and reviews. Professionally shot, photos in a decluttered space make an immediate impression. Accepting dogs opens your property to pet lovers. And a strong review score provides the social proof that turns browsers into bookers.

Is it worth buying a holiday home to rent out?

For most owners in sought-after UK locations, yes it’s worth letting out your holiday home – with realistic expectations.

Is it worth buying a holiday let in Cornwall?

Yes, Cornwall is a top destination for holiday letting. Demand in peak season outstrips supply in prime coastal locations and the shoulder season is also strong.

How to run a successful holiday let?

Successful holiday letting comes down to: presentation (clean, well-maintained), pricing (seasonal, responsive to demand), communication, maintenance and reviews. Owners who use a fully managed service like Love To Let have all of this handled for them.

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