Airbnb short lets firm tries to woo landlords away from buy to let

A short lets firm that describes itself as an “Airbnb management service” is launching an advertising campaign to woo landlords away from buy to let.

Nestify says it aims to encourage landlords to consider short or mid-term lets, alongside traditional long-term tenancies. 

The advertising is taking the form of bus adverts in Bath, Edinburgh and Manchester following a campaign in London last year. 

Nestify - which claims it bolsters landlords’ income by an average 30 per cent - says it is aiming at landlords who want more flexibility with their properties, who have a gap in their tenancies or are in the process of selling and want to continue to generate rental income throughout the sales process. 

The business uses that it calls “smart algorithms” to offer dynamic pricing, automatically adjusting prices in real-time, based on seasonality, competition and the number and quality of reviews.

Properties are listed across a number of platforms including Airbnb, Booking, HomeAway and TripAdvisor. 

Nestify offers services to landlords including cleaning, coordinating and scheduling repairs, vetting and in-person guest meet and greets.

The firm says the Airbnb market in the UK has grown dramatically. 

Airbnb had over 223,000 active listings in 2018. From July 2017 to July 2018, Airbnb hosts in the UK welcomed 8.4m guests into their accommodation.

Hedi Zidan, founder and chief executive at the management firm, says: “This year has been tough for landlords. Government tax reforms have pushed up prices and for many, buy-to-let is no longer the attractive investment it once was. But there are other options out there.”