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Short-let or mid-let? Your choice will depend on how quickly you want to sell your London property, its location, existing market demand, and how much flexibility you need. Short-lets offer greater control between bookings, while mid-lets provide predictable stays and fewer turnovers.
Key Takeaways:
- Short-lets are ideal for sellers who require maximum flexibility and expect to sell soon.
- Mid-lets work for sellers who expect the sale to take several months and prefer fewer turnovers.
- The right letting strategy depends on the property’s location, market demand, and the sales timeline.
- A flexible letting strategy switches between short- and mid-term stays, allowing sellers to maximise rental income as market conditions change.
- Professional property management can help sellers with day-to-day rental operations, allowing them to focus on completing the sale of the property.
Does Short-Term or Mid-Term Letting Work Better While Selling?
Short-term or mid-term letting can help sellers generate rental income while waiting for the right buyer to make a bid on their property. It offers more flexibility than long-term letting because the property is not tied to long-term tenancy agreements. The question is, which of the two is the best option for your property?
For most sellers, the choice goes beyond simply maximising rent. When choosing between short-let and mid-let, it’s important to consider the property’s condition, location, local demand, and sales timeline. It will determine the type of flexibility you’ll need to keep earning rent while allowing the sale to continue, especially when buyer viewings are required.
For instance, if you’re expecting your property to sell in a few weeks, you’re better off using short-term letting. But if you expect your property to take several months to sell, you can opt for longer mid-term stays.
Short-term letting means renting out a fully furnished residential property for under 90 consecutive nights, with a strict cap of 90 total nights per year (unless there’s planning permission). Mid-term letting also rents out a fully furnished residential property for periods longer than 90+ consecutive nights in a single booking.
For London sellers, planning requirements matter because in Greater London, short-term letting of a whole residential property for more than 90 nights in a calendar year is not allowed unless you get planning permission. Beyond the relevant planning considerations, it’s also crucial to check the mortgage, insurance, lease (for leasehold properties), and other requirements before choosing a letting strategy.
When Does A Short-let Make Sense?
A short-let would suit sellers who expect their property to sell soon. It’s also ideal for those who want to maintain maximum control over availability and own a property in an area where short stays are in high demand.
Short-lets make it easier to adjust bookings around the sales process. The seller can open the calendar to bookings when sales are expected to be slow and block dates for viewings, photography, or other planned sales activities.
We noticed how this flexibility is particularly useful when the completion date is yet to be determined.
A short-let is ideal if you…
- Want maximum flexibility
- Expect the property to sell soon
- Own a property in a location with a high short-stay demand
- Need to frequently adjust availability
- Prefer more cleaning and guest turnover
Short-lets usually target tourists, event participants, concert attendees, or business travellers. You’ll need a fully furnished property and the nightly rate should cover utility bills.
The key advantage of short-lets is flexibility around the sales timetable. Bookings, cleaning schedules, and property access are carefully coordinated to keep the property commercially active while maintaining its salability.
The trade-off is having frequent guest turnovers and more demanding rental operations. You’ll have to ensure regular housekeeping, maintenance, and guest communication, and schedule buyer viewings.
Make sure you use dynamic pricing to maximise your property’s earning potential as demand changes. We’ve found this to be particularly useful in London where short-lets are subject to a 90-day limit. You can focus on booking the property at nights with the highest rates for maximum profit.
When Is a Mid-let Better?
A mid-let would suit sellers expecting the sale to take several months and who would like fewer turnovers. This leads to a more predictable stay while retaining an eventual exit strategy once the sale takes place.
Mid-term stays offer a sweet spot between the high profitability yet limited booking opportunities of short-lets and the steady yet strict tenancy commitments of long-lets.
A mid-let is ideal if you…
- Expect the sale to take several months
- Prefer fewer turnovers
- Want longer and more predictable stays
- Hope to reduce vacant periods
- Have no need for frequent buyer viewings
Mid-lets usually target corporate stays or relocators seeking temporary accommodations that last for 3 months or more. Like short-lets, these require furnished properties, which makes them ideal for buyer viewings.
The key advantage of mid-term rentals is predictability. Instead of managing several bookings each month or dealing with prolonged vacancies, you’ll have longer stays and a more consistent revenue stream.
The trade-off here is flexibility. The stays last at least 3 months. Sometimes you can add a clause allowing buyer viewings, but some may not agree to it for privacy reasons.
When using mid-lets, we always caution property owners about the contract details. Accidentally putting the individual’s name on the agreement could be treated as a standard tenancy that can’t be terminated by a no-fault eviction (as per the Renters’ Rights Act).
Which Is Better: Short-let or Mid-let?
Short-lets and mid-lets offer distinct benefits that should be carefully studied so you’ll know which option suits your specific circumstance. While short-lets offer more flexibility, mid-lets provide stability. Your choice between the two would depend on your preferred sales timeline and your level of control over the property’s availability.
| Consideration | Short-let | Mid-let |
| Flexibility | Higher | Moderate |
| Length of stay | Less than 3 months | More than 3 months |
| Turnover | More frequent | Months at a time |
| Availability for sale | Easier to adjust | Requires planning |
| Income predictability | Varies (demand and season) | More predictable |
| Sales timeline | Shorter selling period | Longer selling period |
Consider your sales strategy when choosing a letting model. If you expect to receive an offer quickly, don’t lock your property into a longer mid-let stay. You’re better off using short-term letting where stays last for a couple of nights to a few weeks.
Can You Combine Short-lets and Mid-lets?
Yes, sellers can use flexible letting, a strategy that combines short-term and mid-term letting. This makes it possible to respond to demand while retaining control over availability.
In our experience, the smartest approach is to price accurately upfront, monitor continuously, review strategically, and stay compliant. Keeping the letting strategy flexible ensures maximum rental income as the sale progresses.
During the early sales period, it keeps the property available for short-term letting. Since shortlets and midlets are fully furnished, the property will always be staged and ready for buyer viewings. With housekeeping handling cleaning and maintenance between bookings, the property will also be well cared for.
If sales take longer, switching to longer mid-term stays will create more predictable income. Once the sale moves again, availability may decrease. The letting strategy can switch to short-term bookings, providing more flexibility for viewings. It’s also easier to close the booking calendar once the property is preparing for completion and handover.
Did you know…
A City Relay client earned £77,000 in net rental revenue over two years through flexible letting while awaiting sale. With 531 nights booked across 90+ stays, the property continued to generate income, remained well-maintained, and was ready for last-minute viewings throughout the sales process.
Protect the Sale While Earning Rental Income
Renting a property for sale is possible, but it does require rental management expertise to ensure availability, presentation, viewings, maintenance, and salability at all times. This requires coordination between rental and sales activity.
Through flexible letting, you can keep the property presentable for potential buyers and ensure bookings work around viewing schedules.
This is where professional management adds value. City Relay can coordinate bookings, guest or tenant communications, maintenance, and property access for buyer requests, surveys or investigations, while keeping the sales timeline at the centre of the strategy.
With our expertise and experience, we can help you assess whether a short-term, mid-term, or combined letting strategy is best suited for your property for sale. Over the years, we’ve helped various property owners earn rental income while waiting for the right offer. We’ll help manage the letting operations and keep the property presentable so you can focus on finding the right buyer.
If you wish to discuss opportunities to improve your rental property’s performance, we’re here to support you.
FAQs
Is a short-let or mid-let better when selling a London property?
The answer will depend on the property’s sales timeline. Short-lets are better when maximum flexibility is required. Mid-lets are ideal when the property is expected to remain on the market for several months to a year.
The property’s location, local demand, and legal requirements should also be considered when choosing a letting strategy. Of course, there’s always an option to combine both and switch between short-lets and mid-lets when the timing is right to maximise rental income.
Can I rent out my property while it’s for sale?
Yes, but you should check your mortgage, insurance, planning requirements, lease, and the legal structure of the letting strategy before accepting any bookings. London’s short-term letting rules only allow 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. This is worth considering if you want to use this letting strategy.
Whatever strategy you’ll choose, make sure to plan how you’ll handle viewings and the eventual handover of the property to its new owner.
How long should I rent out my property before selling it?
This depends on the sales timeline and the need for flexibility. If you expect buyers to view the property or request access for surveys, assessments, and other sales-related activities, a short-let approach is the best option. But if you know it will take several months, and you want a more predictable income with fewer turnovers, a mid-let stay is the ideal strategy.
Can I sell a property while it’s occupied?
Technically, you can, but it depends on the type of letting arrangement and the occupant’s legal status. Since 1 May 2026, assured tenancies have shifted to periodic tenancies, and Section 21 is no longer a valid ground for ending an agreement. Unless the buyer is willing to purchase a “tenant-in-situ” property, the seller must find a way to legally evict the current occupant.
This is why sellers should avoid long-term letting if they plan to eventually sell. They’re better off with a flexible, short-term, or mid-term letting strategy.
