Can I Airbnb a property with a buy to let mortgage?

Why does the mortgage type matter?

Lenders price a buy to let mortgage around one thing: a tenant on an assured shorthold tenancy paying rent every month. Short letting breaks that assumption. More people passing through, higher nightly income, different risk. So most buy to let mortgage conditions say the property must be let on a tenancy basis, and short or holiday letting isn't included.

It's the same logic as insuring a delivery van on a car policy. It might never go wrong, but if it does, the paperwork isn't on your side.

What happens if I just do it anyway?

Honestly, some landlords do, and most get away with it. But the risk isn't worth taking on a property worth six figures. Breaching your mortgage conditions can mean the lender demanding full repayment, and you'd have no comeback. Don't build a business on a bet like that.

Option one: ask your lender for consent

Some lenders will consent to short letting, sometimes with a fee, a rate change or conditions attached. It costs nothing but a phone call to ask. If your lender says yes, get it in writing and keep it with your property paperwork.

My honest opinion: consent works when it's easy, but don't hang around waiting for a no. If your lender refuses, that's not the end of the road.

Option two: switch to a holiday let mortgage

Holiday let mortgages are built for exactly this, short stays, high occupancy and seasonal income. The trade off is that rates and fees can be higher, and lenders often want the property let for a minimum number of nights or weeks a year. On the plus side, the lender considers the higher nightly income, not just a monthly rent figure, which can help with affordability.

A broker who knows the holiday let market is worth their fee here. They'll know which lenders are flexible and can compare the cost of consent against the cost of switching. Talk to one before you commit to either.

Check the rest of the paperwork too

The mortgage is the big one, but not the only one. Before you list:

• Lease: if it's a leasehold flat, the lease may ban short lets outright. If it does, don't fight it
• Insurance: standard landlord insurance won't cover short lets, so you'll need specialist cover
• Local rules: generally fine outside London for a normal home, but worth checking with your council

We run through all of these in our guide on whether your property is suitable for short lets, and our Airbnb vs buy to let comparison shows what the income difference can look like once the paperwork is sorted.

What should you do first?

Three calls, in this order: your lender, a mortgage broker, and your insurer. Get those answers before you spend anything on furnishing, because we've seen landlords buy the sofa before they check the small print. And mortgage and lending decisions are specialist territory, so always confirm with a qualified broker rather than relying on a guide like this one.