✏️ Updated March 2026
Corporate Let Rent to Rent:
The Complete UK Guide
How to attract corporate tenants to your serviced accommodation — who they are, how to find them, what they pay, and why corporate lets often deliver better net income than short-stay Airbnb.
What This Guide Covers
What Is a Corporate Let?
A corporate let is where a company — rather than an individual — is the tenant. The company books your serviced accommodation to house their employees, contractors, or project teams for a defined period, typically 4–12 weeks.
The booking might be for: a contractor working on a local infrastructure project, a professional relocating to a new city for work, a healthcare professional on a temporary NHS placement, a team of consultants on a long-running client engagement, or an executive on temporary secondment.
From your perspective, the key difference versus Airbnb leisure guests is that the booking is made by a business — which means a purchase order, an invoice, a longer stay, and typically a much lower maintenance and management burden.
Corporate Let vs Airbnb — Why Corporate Often Wins on Net Income
🏖️ Airbnb Leisure
💼 Corporate Let
Airbnb at £110/night for 28 nights (8 separate stays) = £3,080 gross minus 15% platform fee (£462) minus 8 cleaning turnovers at £55 (£440) = £2,178 net.
The lower-rate corporate let earns MORE net income — with dramatically less management effort.
Who Are Corporate Tenants?
🏗️ Contractors
Construction, civil engineering, infrastructure workers on fixed-term projects. Largest source of corporate let demand. Often book 4–16 week stays. Book through project managers or company accommodation coordinators.
🏥 NHS Staff
Travelling nurses, locum doctors, healthcare professionals on temporary placements. Consistent demand near hospitals year-round. Often booked by NHS trusts or recruitment agencies.
💼 Relocating Professionals
Employees moving to a new city who need temporary accommodation while searching for a permanent home. Typically 4–12 weeks. Often booked by HR or relocation management companies.
🔧 Corporate Teams
Consultants, project teams, IT implementers on extended client engagements. Often book multiple units. Booked through corporate travel management systems.
✈️ International Assignees
Employees relocated from overseas who need furnished accommodation while awaiting a permanent rental. Often 4–26 weeks. Booked through relocation management companies.
🎓 Academic Visitors
Visiting academics, researchers and university staff on temporary appointments. Consistent demand near universities. Often booked directly by the institution.
What Do Corporate Lets Pay?
| Property Type | Typical Weekly Rate | Typical Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed (major city) | £500–£750 | £2,000–£3,000 |
| 2-bed (major city) | £700–£1,100 | £2,800–£4,400 |
| 3-bed (major city) | £900–£1,400 | £3,600–£5,600 |
| Studio / 1-bed (provincial) | £380–£580 | £1,520–£2,320 |
| 2-bed (provincial) | £520–£800 | £2,080–£3,200 |
Corporate rates are typically lower than peak Airbnb leisure rates — but the net income is often higher due to zero platform fees, dramatically lower cleaning costs, and more predictable occupancy.
How to Find Corporate Tenants
List on Corporate SA Platforms
SilverDoor, Homelike, SITU, and BridgeStreet specialise in corporate accommodation. List your properties on these platforms — they are actively used by corporate travel managers and relocation companies. Free to list on most.
Contact Local NHS Trusts Directly
Email the accommodation or HR coordinator at your nearest NHS trust. Introduce yourself as a professional SA operator with furnished properties available for healthcare staff. NHS trusts are under constant pressure to find accommodation for locum and travelling staff — you are solving their problem.
Approach Construction Project Managers
Research major construction and infrastructure projects in your area. Contact the project manager or site accommodation coordinator. Many large contractors have a dedicated accommodation manager for their workforce — a single relationship can mean weeks of consecutive bookings.
LinkedIn Outreach to HR and Relocation Managers
Search LinkedIn for HR managers, relocation managers and office managers at major employers in your city. Send a professional message introducing your properties and your corporate rates. One converted HR contact can become a repeat booker for years.
Approach Relocation Management Companies
Companies like Cartus, Crown Relocations, and Graebel manage accommodation for corporate relocations. Getting on their approved supplier list can generate a consistent pipeline of 4–12 week bookings with minimal marketing effort.
Build a Direct Booking Website
A professional website showcasing your properties, your corporate credentials, and your rates builds credibility and generates inbound enquiries. Corporate clients are more likely to book direct (no platform fees for either party) once they trust your brand.
The Right Contract for Corporate Lets
Corporate lets use a different contract to either Airbnb leisure bookings or standard tenancies:
- Company Let Agreement — the company (your client’s employer) is the contracting party, not the individual employee. This gives you a business counterparty with clear payment obligations.
- Non-housing Act tenancy — corporate lets to companies are not covered by the Housing Act in the same way as residential tenancies. This means more flexibility on terms and exit arrangements.
- Licences for stays under 28 days — for stays under 28 days, a licence agreement (rather than a tenancy agreement) is appropriate. For longer stays, a short-term company let is more appropriate.
- Invoice and payment terms — corporate clients pay by invoice. Standard payment terms are 30 days. Specify these clearly in your agreement and follow up promptly on any late payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a corporate let better than Airbnb for rent to rent SA?
For most operators, a mix of both is optimal. Corporate lets provide stable, low-management income as a foundation — typically 60–70% of your calendar. Airbnb fills the gaps at higher nightly rates. Pure Airbnb is more income-volatile, more management-intensive, and more seasonal. Pure corporate has lower total income ceiling but much higher reliability. The hybrid model outperforms both strategies in isolation for most operators in most markets. For more detail, see SA pricing strategies.
How do I price corporate lets?
Corporate rates are typically 15–25% below peak Airbnb leisure rates — reflecting the lower platform fees, reduced cleaning costs and longer stay certainty you receive in return. Start by calculating your break-even nightly rate (total monthly costs divided by 30), then add your target profit margin. A 2-bedroom Manchester city centre property with £1,400/month total costs needs to achieve at least £47/night to break even — a corporate rate of £85–£100/night delivers a healthy margin while remaining competitive in the corporate market.
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