Revealed - typical Airbnb rate in London as short-let sector rebounds

It’s been revealed by a short lets trade body that the typical Airbnb day rate in London in September was £151.40 - a sign of the sector’s recovery.

The UK Short Term Accommodation Association suggests this figure, applying to all short lets, shows an increase of 38.6 per cent over the past year and a 9.4 per cent bounce even on the previous month, August 2021.

STAA chief executive Merilee Karr says: “It’s really encouraging to see the strength of recovery being shown by London’s major accommodation sectors … These results indicate that people are prepared to pay more for self-contained properties. 

“Seeing further increases in occupancy, average day rates and length of stays in September after the traditional summer holiday season, is a good indicator that business travel is returning and that workers and their employers are opting for short-term lets as more flexible and secure places to stay whilst heading back into their London offices.

“With travel restrictions more relaxed we’re also seeing the gradual return of international travellers who are so valuable to the London hospitality sector. It all points to a more optimistic outlook for the recovery of the capital’s accommodation and tourism sectors.”

Other STAA figures show that serviced apartments cost an average of £150.60 a day in September this year, seeing a rise of 10.8 per cent on August and 24 per cent on the year; hotels averaged a day rate of £138.50, up 23.3 per cent on the month and 48.7 per cent on the year. 

Occupancy levels were 76.2 per cent for Airbnb-style short lets; 81.5 per cent for serviced apartments; and 62.4 per cent for hotels.