Manage Your Own Holiday Let or Hire a Manager? An Honest Checklist

Short answer: live close, have the time and like hosting? Self-manage. You save the fee and keep control. Live far away, work full-time, or dread the 11pm "we can't get in" message? A manager earns their money. Most owners sit somewhere between. Work out where before you decide.

I manage holiday homes, so I'm not neutral. But I'd rather you picked the right option than became the wrong customer. Here's the straight version.

It's your house. Handing over the keys is personal. Wanting to keep control is normal, and so is being worn out by it.

What the work actually is

People think it's "a few messages and a clean". It's this:

Guest messages. Enquiries before booking. Questions during the stay. Problems at odd hours. Check-out follow-up. Fast replies win bookings.
Changeovers. Clean. Fresh linen. Restock. Quick damage check. All in the gap between guests. Every time.
Maintenance. Boiler. Hot tub. Leaks. Dead TV. Blocked gutter. Find a tradesperson, get a price, arrange access.
Listings and pricing. Keep photos and descriptions current. Adjust rates through the seasons. Avoid double bookings across sites.
Admin. Statements. Tax records. Insurance. The rules for letting in your area.

None of it is hard. It's the volume and the timing. It never stops. Guests don't care that you're at work or on holiday.

Self-manage if...

You live within about an hour.
You can reply to guests quickly, most days.
You have a reliable cleaner and a couple of tradespeople you trust.
You enjoy hosting and want control of every detail.
The place earns a modest amount, so a fee would eat a big slice.

Hire a manager if...

You live far away, or abroad.
You work full-time and can't answer messages in the day.
A bad review has come from slow replies or a missed clean.
Your time is costing you more than the fee would.
You own more than one property and it's getting out of hand.

The middle option

Plenty of owners keep the bits they like and hand over the bits they hate. You keep pricing and your calendar. Someone else does guest messages and changeovers. Ask any manager if they'll do that, or if it's all or nothing.

What it costs, honestly

Managers typically charge a percentage of bookings. Published guides say 15% to 25%, often plus VAT. Mine is a flat monthly fee. £250 for a 1-bedroom, £300 for 2, £350 for 3, from £400 for 4 or more. Cleaning, linen and repairs are billed separately, at cost.

Which is cheaper depends on your income. I did the sums in my guide to holiday let management fees.

Self-managing has a cost too. Your time has a value. One badly handled weekend can cost you a review.

Questions to ask before you hand over the keys

What does the fee cover, and what's billed on top?
Who answers guests, and how fast?
Who arranges and pays for cleaning, linen and repairs? Any mark-up?
What's the minimum term and the notice period?
If I leave, do I keep my listings, photos and reviews?
How often will I get statements? Can I see a sample?
Who do I actually speak to, and what's their number?

With me it's a three-month initial term, then 30 days' notice. You deal with Christie and me directly.

Try a quarter yourself

Unsure? Run a quarter yourself and keep notes. Count the hours. Count the messages. Count the late-night calls and the things that went wrong. Put a price on your time. Compare it with the fee you'd have paid. The numbers usually decide it.

What I don't know

I don't know your property, your spare time or how you cope with an 11pm message. You do. That's why the checklist above is yours to score.

Quick FAQ

Can I switch from self-managing to a manager later? Yes. Check the contract so you keep your listings and reviews.

Will a manager change how guests see my place? A good one follows your house rules and style. Ask how.

Can I hand over just some things? Ask. Some managers offer it. Some don't.

Sources

GOV.UK: letting out a self-catering holiday home in England
Holiday Let Investor: management fees UK
Our own fees and terms: ourhousestays.co.uk

Not sure which side of the line you're on? Tell me about your holiday let. I'll reply personally, usually within a working day. If managing it yourself makes more sense, I'll say so.

Tell us about your holiday let

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About the author / how we know this

I'm Steve. With Christie, I run Our House Stays. I manage holiday homes for other owners, working through client businesses, and I handle guest communications for those homes. Before that I ran small businesses and holiday-let operations.

What I know first-hand: guest messages, changeovers, and what breaks at 11pm. What I'm not: a lawyer, planner or accountant. Where rules or tax come up, I link the official source and tell you to check it.

I'm not neutral. I run a flat-fee service. I don't quote ratings, reviews or revenue figures, and I don't name the people I work with. Got something wrong? Tell me using the form above.

Last reviewed: 23 October 2026.