Airbnb investment in United Kingdom
4 United Kingdom short-term rental markets ranked by median annual revenue per listing. Data refreshes weekly from the latest Inside Airbnb snapshot.
The United Kingdom market at a glance
Medians across the 4 United Kingdom markets we hold live listing data for. Figures are converted to GBP so cities compare like for like.
The spread matters more than the average: a median listing in Edinburgh grosses £19,296 a year, against £5,040 in Greater Manchester. Which end of that range a property lands on depends on the street, not the country.
Short-let rules in United Kingdom
London is the one United Kingdom market we hold verified regulation records for. It does not require a licence or registration to let short-term. Letting is capped at 90 nights a year. Planning consent for a change of use is not required. Rules move faster than market data, so check the city page before you offer on anything.
United Kingdom cities ranked
| # | City | Occupancy | Daily rate | Annual revenue | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | 36% | £156 | £19.3K | 4,407 |
| 2 | London | 28% | £129 | £8.2K | 48,261 |
| 3 | Bristol | 30% | £95 | £6.3K | 2,090 |
| 4 | Greater Manchester | 30% | £89 | £5.0K | 5,365 |
United Kingdom short-let questions
Which United Kingdom city earns the most on Airbnb?
Edinburgh. A median listing there grosses £19,296 a year, the highest of the 4 United Kingdom markets we track.
What occupancy should I expect in United Kingdom?
The median across United Kingdom markets with live data is 30%. Individual cities vary widely, and occupancy within a city varies more than between cities — the street matters more than the market.
Do I need a licence to run an Airbnb in United Kingdom?
London is the only United Kingdom market we hold verified rules for, and it does not require a licence or registration to let short-term. The rule is set locally, so it tells you nothing about the rest of the country — check the city page for wherever you're buying.
How many Airbnb listings are there in United Kingdom?
60,123 active listings across the 4 United Kingdom markets we track — counting only listings with at least one booking in the last 12 months, so dormant listings don't inflate the figure.
Methodology: per-city medians are computed from the latest Inside Airbnb snapshot, filtered to active listings (≥1 booking in the last 12 months). Annual revenue is the median per-listing gross.
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