What is a mid-term let?

A mid-term let is a furnished rental for a defined period, typically one to six months. You may also see it called a medium-term let, corporate let or monthly rental. The terms are used interchangeably.

It sits between two more familiar letting types. Short-term lets (Airbnb, holiday lets) run from a few nights to a few weeks and attract leisure guests. Long-term lets run 12 months or more under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) and attract residential tenants. Mid-term lets serve a different group entirely: working professionals and people in transition who need somewhere furnished and move-in ready for a fixed period, but are not looking for a permanent home.

How long is a mid-term let?

Most run one to six months. Corporate and relocation bookings can stretch to 12 months. The defining factor is not the exact length. It is that the tenancy has a set end date and the property is let furnished, on terms more flexible than an AST.

In legal terms, most mid-term lets use a licence to occupy rather than a tenancy agreement. A licence gives the occupant permission to use the property for a set period. It does not create tenancy rights, so the security of tenure and notice obligations that come with an AST do not apply.

Mid-term let vs short-term let vs long-term let

Short-term let (Airbnb, holiday let)

• Duration: days to a few weeks
• Income: highest nightly rate, variable occupancy
• Tenants: leisure guests, tourists, occasional business travellers
• Legal: licence or platform booking terms
• Management: high turnover, daily changeovers per booking

Mid-term let

• Duration: one to six months, sometimes to 12
• Income: lower nightly equivalent, near-full occupancy
• Tenants: contractors, corporate, relocation, healthcare, insurance, academics
• Legal: licence to occupy
• Management: weekly or fortnightly cleans, single check-in per booking

Long-term let

• Duration: 12 months or more
• Income: lowest monthly rate
• Tenants: residential tenants
• Legal: Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST)
• Management: periodic inspections, end-of-tenancy process

For owners already running short-lets, mid-term letting is not a replacement. It is a complement. It fills the calendar weeks when leisure demand drops and prevents the dark nights that drag down annual yield.

Who rents mid-term lets?

Understanding your likely tenants is the most practical step you can take before deciding whether MTL is right for your property. Here are the main groups.

Contractors and construction workers. Project-based workers are one of the most reliable sources of mid-term demand in the UK. Site assignments typically last two to six months. Workers need somewhere functional and furnished, close to the site. They need a proper workspace, reliable broadband and a comfortable bed. Demand is consistent and largely unaffected by the leisure calendar. See the full guide to contractor accommodation in the UK.

Corporate and business relocators. Companies placing employees in new cities book furnished accommodation while permanent housing is arranged. These stays typically last one to three months and the employer usually covers the cost. Properties close to commercial districts or major transport links perform best. Corporate housing in London is one of the most active demand pockets.

Healthcare and NHS workers. The NHS places locum doctors and agency nurses across hospitals nationwide on placements that typically run one to three months. Properties close to major hospitals are in near-constant demand. This is steady, year-round income that does not fluctuate with tourism seasons.

Insurance placements. When a residential property is made uninhabitable by a flood, fire or major repair, the insurer places the household somewhere furnished for weeks or months. These bookings come through insurers or loss adjusters. They are reliable and fully guaranteed.

Film and production crews. TV and film productions moving to a new location need furnished accommodation for the duration of a shoot. Bookings tend to be last-minute but at strong rates. Demand clusters around production hubs and location shoots.

Academics and placement students. Visiting academics, exchange students and those on clinical or work placements need furnished accommodation for a fixed term, typically three to nine months. University cities see consistent demand for this group throughout the year.

What can you earn from a mid-term let?

Mid-term lets earn less per night than short-term lets. A property earning £250 a night on Airbnb will typically achieve £70-£100 per night equivalent on a monthly rate.

What changes is occupancy. MTL bookings run for weeks or months at near-full occupancy. Short-let bookings are higher per night but broken by dark nights between guests, seasonal dips and gaps in demand. The net monthly figure is often comparable, and in some markets MTL wins.

The stronger case for MTL is predictability. A contractor booking a property for 10 weeks at £2,800 per month means £7,000 guaranteed. No turnover gaps. No weekend versus midweek demand imbalance.

For London owners in particular, the 90-day short-let cap puts a hard ceiling on annual STL income. Mid-term lets fill the remaining nights at rates that compensate for the lower nightly figure. Many London owners run a hybrid model: short-lets from May to October when leisure demand peaks, mid-term lets through the quieter months when Airbnb yield would otherwise fall significantly.

Use the short-let vs long-let calculator to see how the numbers compare for your property and location.

The 90-day rule and mid-term lets

If your property is in London, Paris or Dublin, the 90-day short-let cap is the most pressing practical reason to consider MTL.

In London, you can let your home as a short-let for up to 90 nights per year without planning permission. The same category of restriction applies in Paris (120 nights) and Dublin (90 nights for entire-home lets). Once you hit the cap, short-let income stops for the year.

A mid-term booking of 30 days or more does not count toward the London 90-day cap. It falls outside the short-let category in planning terms. A two-month corporate booking in November and December preserves your 90 Airbnb nights for the peak leisure season in spring and summer.

The result is a calendar that earns year-round rather than peaking in summer and going quiet in winter. The London 90-day rule guide covers how the cap works in detail, including what counts toward it and how to track your nights.

Is mid-term letting right for you?

MTL works well for properties that are:

Furnished to a professional standard. Corporate and contractor tenants are on work assignments, not holiday. The bar is functional: a proper desk and chair, reliable Wi-Fi, a good bed, a fully equipped kitchen, consistent heating. It does not need to be hotel-standard, but it needs to feel like somewhere a person can live and work for three months without noticing anything missing.

In a demand-strong location. Central locations, proximity to hospitals, business parks, infrastructure project sites, university campuses or filming locations generate the most reliable MTL interest. Leisure-focused areas can still attract MTL bookings, but they rely more on platform discovery than local demand.

Available for planned longer blocks. MTL does not work as a gap-filler between two-night Airbnb bookings. Set a minimum of 28 nights, more commonly 30, and build MTL periods into your calendar deliberately. The best mid-term rental platforms let you set these minimums and target the right tenant types from the start.

How Houst manages mid-term lets

Houst handles mid-term stays with the same core service as short-term lets: pricing, listing, tenant vetting, check-in, maintenance coordination and performance reporting. For mid-term bookings, the service adapts to the tempo of a longer stay.

Pricing is set to match the corporate and contractor market rather than leisure rates. Listings are placed on platforms suited to the MTL demand base alongside standard short-let channels. For owners in London, Paris, Dublin and Edinburgh running a hybrid STL/MTL model, Houst manages both the short-let periods and the mid-term blocks from a single service.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum length for a mid-term let?

There is no fixed legal minimum, but most mid-term lets start at 28 to 30 nights. Below 30 nights the stay is typically treated as a short-let for planning and platform purposes. Above 30 nights, it sits outside the short-let category in most UK jurisdictions.

Do I need planning permission for a mid-term let?

In most cases, no. A stay of 30 days or more is not classified as a short-let under current UK planning rules, so the 90-day London cap and equivalent restrictions in other cities do not apply. Always check your local authority's position if your property has an existing use condition.

Is a mid-term let taxed differently to a short-term let?

Both types of income are subject to income tax. The key difference is that mid-term lets typically do not qualify for Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax reliefs, which require a minimum number of let days as holiday accommodation. If you run a hybrid model, the split between qualifying FHL income and non-FHL income needs to be calculated separately. Speak to a tax adviser who specialises in furnished lettings.

Can I do mid-term lets on Airbnb?

Yes. Airbnb supports listings with a minimum 28-night or 30-night stay through its monthly stays product. Platforms like Furnished Finder, Spotahome and Homelike are built specifically for mid-term lets and tend to attract more corporate and professional bookings.

Does a mid-term let tenant have the right to stay on?

Not under a licence to occupy. A licence does not create tenancy rights, so the occupant does not acquire the security of tenure that comes with an AST. When the agreed period ends, the licence ends. This is why most mid-term arrangements use a licence rather than a tenancy agreement.