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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesNeither short-term nor long-term renting is automatically the better investment. Short-term letting may suit an owner who can achieve enough booked nights, manage frequent turnovers and meet local rules; long-term letting may suit one who values steadier rent during a tenancy and less guest-facing work. Compare the realistic annual net outcome for your property—including costs, your time, personal-use needs and compliance—not just the advertised nightly rate.
How short- and long-term rentals differ
| Decision factor | Short-term rental | Long-term rental | What to assess |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Nightly or weekly revenue depends on rates, demand and booked nights; seasonality can make it uneven. | Contract rent is generally more predictable during an occupied tenancy, but vacancies and nonpayment remain possible. | Use local rates and realistic occupancy or vacancy assumptions, then compare annual net income. |
| Work | May involve guest messages, check-in coordination, cleaning, turnover and restocking. | Still involves tenant onboarding, rent collection, maintenance and tenancy administration, usually without frequent guest turnover. | Include management costs and put a value on the time you will spend. |
| Expenses | Potential costs include platform or management charges, cleaning, utilities, supplies, furnishings, repairs, insurance and applicable taxes. | Potential costs include repairs, insurance, financing, management and any utilities or services paid by the owner. | Use quotes and records for the actual property; generic revenue multipliers cannot establish profitability. |
| Flexibility | May allow the owner to reserve some dates for personal use, subject to local rules and the effect on availability and revenue. | A tenancy generally commits the home for a defined period, subject to the contract and local law. | Decide how valuable personal access is and whether it fits the rental model. |
| Risk | Income can shift with visitor demand, seasonality, competition and regulation. | Income can be steadier during a tenancy, but vacancy, nonpayment, repairs and legal processes remain risks. | Test weaker demand, unexpected costs and periods without a guest or tenant. |
These are tendencies, not guarantees. The actual result depends on the property’s location, condition, building rules and owner circumstances.
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Compare annual net outcomes for your property
Build two estimates for the same property and the same period. Keep assumptions visible: an optimistic occupancy estimate can make a short-term model look attractive even when it leaves too little room for slow seasons or repairs.
- Estimate gross revenue. For short-term letting, use plausible local nightly or weekly rates and booked nights across both busy and quiet periods. For long-term letting, use achievable local rent and account for likely vacancy. Do not treat a listed asking rate as proof of what the property will earn.
- Subtract model-specific costs. Include financing, repairs, insurance, management, owner-paid services and taxes where applicable. For short-term letting, also account for turnover, cleaning, supplies, utilities, platform charges and furnishing. Avoid counting the same cost twice.
- Account for owner time and use. Estimate the hours needed for each model and what it would cost to delegate that work. If you plan to occupy the property yourself, consider the dates you would block and their effect on potential bookings.
- Check constraints before relying on either estimate. Verify local rental rules and the terms of your building, mortgage and insurance. A revenue plan is not viable if the intended use is prohibited or requires conditions you cannot meet.
- Stress-test the result. Recalculate with weaker short-term demand, a vacant stretch between tenants, a major repair or a change in local rules. Compare the outcomes under those scenarios, not only under your preferred forecast.
The useful comparison is your estimated net income after relevant costs, alongside workload and flexibility. There is no universal break-even occupancy or profit formula that applies to every city and property.
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Include the work and costs that a headline rate hides
Short-term letting
Frequent stays can mean repeated coordination, cleaning and preparation between guests. An owner who manages the listing personally should count that labor; an owner who hires help should use actual management and service quotes. Furnishing, utilities, supplies and turnover costs can also make a high nightly rate less meaningful than it first appears.
Long-term letting
A longer tenancy usually reduces the frequency of guest turnovers, but it does not eliminate landlord work. Budget for maintenance, insurance, management, financing and any services or utilities you cover. Also allow for time and costs associated with finding a tenant and handling tenancy obligations.
UK figures illustrate why rental costs should be treated as part of the calculation rather than an afterthought: HM Revenue & Customs reported that 87.7% of unincorporated UK landlords declared some form of property expense in the 2024–25 tax year. Common declared categories included repairs and maintenance, insurance and rates, and legal, management and professional fees. HMRC also reported £2.46 billion in UK furnished holiday letting income in 2024–25, equal to 4% of rental-market income within the release’s stated scope. These are UK tax-reporting figures, not a forecast of an individual property’s income or costs. See HMRC’s 2026 property rental income statistics for definitions and scope.
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Why short-term revenue is not automatically higher
A higher price per night does not tell you how many nights will be sold or what it costs to serve each stay. Occupancy assumptions, seasonality and operating expenses can change the comparison materially.
One location-specific illustration comes from a 2020 Washington State University thesis. Comparing Airbnb listings with comparable annual-lease properties in metro Los Angeles using data from March 2018 through February 2020, Richard Burdette Houghton III estimated that Airbnb properties produced $17,027 less annual revenue on average. That was an estimated revenue comparison—not a universal net-profit result—and it was sensitive to occupancy assumptions; the thesis also notes limits in the available cost data. It should not be generalized to other cities or today’s market. Read the thesis.
Check the rules that apply to the exact property
Rental requirements vary by city, region, building and intended use, and they can change. Before choosing a model, confirm the rules and contract terms for the property’s precise location and ownership circumstances.
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- Short-term rental registration or licensing, zoning or planning restrictions, occupancy limits and safety standards.
- Building or homeowners’ association rules, mortgage terms and insurer requirements for the intended use.
- Applicable lodging, property and income taxes, including the relevant tax year and ownership structure.
- For long-term renting, landlord registration and tenancy-law requirements.
Rules can change even after a rental is established, so recheck them when legislation, local policy or your ownership circumstances change. For example, the OECD’s 2026 Croatia Economic Survey describes changes to Croatia’s short-term holiday-rental tax framework in 2025 and regional variation after the reform. That is a Croatia-specific example, not guidance for another jurisdiction. See the OECD’s Croatia analysis.
Scottish Government-commissioned research records some hosts, residents, community groups and businesses describing perceived returns, flexibility or lighter requirements associated with short-term lets. Those are participant views, not a representative profitability comparison or proof that short-term rentals are less regulated everywhere. Read the Scottish Government research.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider housing-market effects without assuming every listing displaces a home
A short-term listing is not necessarily a home that could otherwise house a long-term tenant. Statistics Canada notes that listings can include vacation properties, units unsuitable for long-term residential use, and seasonal or room-based accommodation that serves another housing purpose at other times. Its estimate of “potential long-term dwellings” relies on third-party data; the agency cautions that it is an estimate, not an actual count of homes removed from the long-term housing stock. Statistics Canada’s 2024 analysis explains the measure’s limits.
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Earlier figures cited in that analysis estimated 13,700 entire homes rented at least 60 days per year on Airbnb in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The estimate was produced by McGill University researchers in 2017 using their definition of full-time Airbnb use; it is not a current count. Separately, a peer-reviewed Management Science study found that Airbnb mildly cannibalizes long-term rental supply in its model, with local effects varying. The study describes affordable units as contributing both to supply reductions affecting renters and to market expansion that can benefit local hosts. Neither source supports a claim that every short-term rental displaces a long-term home or that the effect is the same in every market. Read the study in Management Science.
Choose the model that fits your priorities and downside tolerance
- Short-term letting may fit if local rules permit it, credible demand supports your occupancy assumptions, the net estimate covers operating costs and owner time, and you value the option of personal use enough to accept variable bookings.
- Long-term letting may fit if achievable rent produces the stronger or more dependable net outcome for you, you prefer fewer guest turnovers, and you are comfortable with tenancy obligations and the possibility of vacancy, nonpayment or significant repairs.
- Neither may fit as planned if compliance is uncertain, the costs erase the expected return, or the downside scenario would be financially unmanageable.
HMRC reported that 2.88 million unincorporated landlords declared UK property rental income in 2024–25. That tax-return population is not a direct count of all UK landlords: it excludes some entities and taxpayers outside the reporting population. It provides context for the scale of one country’s rental sector, not evidence that either rental model is the right choice for a particular owner. HMRC’s release details its reporting scope.
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