What holiday let investments can offer landlords in 2022

See our latest holiday let rates – including our cut-price greener BTLs – on our Buy-to-Let page.

by Andy Virgo, Buy-to-Let Director

For obvious reasons, the UK AirBNB and Staycation industry has boomed in the past couple of years as uncertainties around travel have kept Brits looking at home for their getaways. 

This has rewarded portfolio landlords who have diversified their properties and found yield in the holiday let market. 

As a grey January is lit up by more and more holiday adverts on our TVs and phones, we are looking again at what holidays we could be enjoying this year. After two years of rapid change, what could be in store for the market in the next year? 

The year ahead

Recent history has raised the awareness of the stay at home holiday sector a huge amount, in particular the diversity and range of properties available for short-term holiday lets.

This should put the market on a good platform going forward, even with (potentially) increased foreign travel available as the year progresses.

A focus on sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint is happening across all areas of people’s lives, and studies are showing travellers keen for ‘green’ holidays, which all plays in the favour of the staying local holiday market.

Increased foreign travel can be a boon for the holiday let sector in this country as well, with more travellers coming into the country. 

The role of the lender in supporting holiday lets

The main differentiator – aside from rates – is how lenders choose to value holiday lets and the flexibility of the criteria. 

As more landlords look to diversify their portfolio with these types of lets, lenders need to be responsive to the needs of the market to support them. 

Bricks and mortar investments are solid for the long term, which is why the relative ‘gamble’ of a holiday let is a step many are willing to take because the long-term rental and housing market remain strong.

If demand slips, remortgages to long-term rental deals or selling the home in a buoyant market remain successful outcomes, which lenders should be willing to facilitate. 

There remains opportunity for landlords willing to explore holiday lets as a manner of diversifying their portfolio. After two frantic years for the market we can expect some realignment as things approach a new normal in 2022, but the need for high-quality accommodation – for short or long stays – won’t go away.

See our latest holiday let rates – including our cut-price greener BTLs – on our Buy-to-Let page.