What commission do UK short-let management agencies charge?

Short-let management agencies in the UK typically charge between 12% and 20% plus VAT of booking revenue for a full-service package. Basic, listing-only services sit around 8% to 12%, while premium tiers with dedicated account managers can reach 18% to 22%. Cleaning is almost always charged separately per stay, usually £80 to £150 depending on property size, and one-off onboarding fees of £150 to £450 are common.

The UK short-let market is unregulated on commission, so there is no cap and no standard fee card. The percentage a manager charges reflects service depth rather than a fixed rule, and the same headline number can mean very different things depending on what is bundled in.

Two regulatory shifts are quietly pushing fees upward at the margins. The abolition of the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime from April 2025 and the proposed C5 planning class for short-term lets add compliance work that managers absorb, while Manchester and Liverpool remain competitive, high-demand markets where full-service pricing has stayed broadly stable.

London carries a premium because the 90-day cap under the Deregulation Act 2015 adds compliance overhead. In the North West, where Truestays operates as a Houst local partner across Manchester, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent, fees sit in the standard full-service band without a London-style uplift.

These ranges are typical UK market figures, not Truestays-specific pricing. Cleaning is almost never included in the percentage and is billed per turnover, either added to the guest bill or deducted from your payout.

We charge within the full-service band and disclose gross income with a clear disclaimer rather than inflated net promises, so you can see what the property actually earned before fees. We run no lock-in contracts with a 30-day notice period, and through the Houst partner network we combine national-scale dynamic pricing and 24/7 guest systems with local cleaning and care in Manchester, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent.

Take a 2-bed Manchester property earning £3,000 a month gross. At a 15% plus VAT management fee the monthly fee is about £540, leaving roughly £2,460 before cleaning and utilities. Because dynamic pricing typically lifts revenue 18% to 27% versus a static rate (an indicative range based on managed-portfolio observation), gross could rise toward £3,500, leaving the net after fee higher than the same property self-managed on a static price. The fair test is net income after the fee, not the percentage in isolation.

Full-service management typically costs 12% to 20% plus VAT of booking revenue, with cleaning charged separately at £80 to £150 per stay. Listing-only services start around 8% to 12% plus VAT.

No. Net income after the fee matters more than the headline percentage, because a strong operator lifts occupancy and nightly rates through dynamic pricing and multi-platform distribution, often recovering more than the fee costs.

Rarely. Cleaning is almost always charged per stay, either added to the guest bill or deducted from your payout. Always confirm whether linen service and restocking are included in the cleaning charge.

Check for onboarding fees, maintenance callout charges, extra platform listing costs and tiered pricing that only kicks in at a certain portfolio size. A transparent operator will list every charge before you sign.

Yes, particularly for portfolios of two or more properties. Ask about tiered pricing that drops as your portfolio grows and a fair notice period rather than a long lock-in.