Construction crews
Construction crews are one of our biggest groups of guests around Cambridge. Teams on new labs, offices and housing across the city book a whole home for the length of a job, often for less than a row of Cambridge hotel rooms.
Airbnb management in Cambridge
University, biomedical and tech demand with year-round tourism, all under an hour from King’s Cross.
Book a 30-minute callPrefer to talk first? Pick a time that suits you.
Takes about 30 seconds
Free home earnings assessmentYou're 17% there
Welcome back, we saved your answers.
What could your home earn?
Five quick questions. First, what type of property is it?
Free, no obligation. We never sell your details.
How many bedrooms?
Nice. Bedrooms are the biggest driver of nightly rate.
Where is it?
Last question. So we can see exactly which home it is and compare it with similar ones nearby.
What we'll check for this address
- Local demandBookings and nightly rates for similar homes nearby
- Your area's rulesAny local planning limits on short lets
- Kept privateOnly used for your estimate, never sold
What's happening with it now?
Nice, that's the basics done. Now a bit about how it's used.
What matters most to you?
This shapes the strategy we recommend.
We're preparing your estimate
Thanks . We're checking your home against similar properties nearby. Your full estimate will be in your inbox within 24 hours.
Want to talk it through?
Book a 30-minute call and we'll go through your figures together.
Book my 30-minute call
Our numbers so farFrom our own booking records
9,000+nights booked
4.8★guest rating on Airbnb
+38%more than a long let, on average
Where these numbers come from
All figures come from our own booking records, across every home we manage. We're happy to show you the data on your call.
Your home is listed on
AirbnbBooking.comVrboExpediaTripAdvisorGoogleDirect with usAirbnbBooking.comVrboExpediaTripAdvisorGoogleDirect with us
Cambridge at a glance
Short lets in Cambridge, in brief
Cambridge short lets rarely rely on tourists alone. The Biomedical Campus, with Addenbrooke’s, Royal Papworth and AstraZeneca, and the Science Park bring professionals on weekday and month-long stays. Graduations, the colleges and the Folk Festival bring families and visitors.
See what my home could earn- Council
- Cambridge City CouncilSets council tax and planning
- To London
- From about 49 minutesCambridge to King’s Cross
- Second homes
- 100% council tax premiumCharged on furnished second homes
- Short-let planning
- Judged case by caseNo fixed night cap or licence
How it works
We manage, you earn.
Four steps from first call to first payout. Your whole part is a 30-minute call, a signature and a set of keys.
Get my free assessmentFree, and takes about 30 seconds
Step 1 of 4 · Day 1
Free assessment
Find out what your home could earn before you commit to anything.
- Answer five quick questionsType, bedrooms, what it does now, your goal and the postcode. About 30 seconds.
- Get your forecast by emailWithin 24 hours, built from similar homes near yours.
- Talk it through on a call30 minutes, by phone or video, any questions you like, no obligation.
Your part30 secs + a 30-min call
Step 2 of 4 · After signing
We get it ready
We turn your home into a listing guests want to book. You don’t need to find anyone.
- Photos and listingsProfessional photography and a listing written for every platform.
- Guest-ready suppliesLinen, towels and essentials, plus a key safe or smart lock.
- Safety checksGas, electrical and fire checks, and a guest guide with house rules.
Your partSign and hand over the keys
Step 3 of 4 · Within 3 days
Bookings start
Your home goes live everywhere guests book, and we look after every guest from start to finish.
- Listed everywhereAirbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia and our own website.
- Every guest checkedID verified, past reviews checked, no parties or events.
- Looked after 24/7Guests answered within minutes, and the home inspected after every checkout.
Your partNothing
Step 4 of 4 · Every month
You get paid
Money in your account every month, with a statement that shows exactly where it came from.
- One monthly payoutPaid straight to your bank account.
- An itemised statementEvery booking, fee and cost, with receipts for any repairs.
- Your owner dashboardLog in any time to see bookings and revenue.
Your partNothing
Get my free assessmentWhy Cambridge works
Who books a short let in Cambridge
Insurance stays
When a Cambridge home is out of action after a leak or fire, the insurer pays for the family to stay near school and work while it is repaired. With hotel rooms scarce and costly, a whole home for weeks or months suits everyone, especially in winter.
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Addenbrooke’s and The Rosie, Royal Papworth, the UK’s leading heart and lung hospital, and AstraZeneca’s research centre, where more than 2,000 scientists work.
Cambridge Science Park
Founded by Trinity College in 1970 as the UK’s first science park, with more than 7,000 people on 152 acres beside Cambridge North station.
The University and its 31 colleges
Degree ceremonies run through the year from October, and General Admission from 30 June to 3 July 2027 brings families to the city.
The colleges and the Backs
Punting past King’s College Chapel, the Wren Library and the Bridge of Sighs draws visitors all year.
Our homes
Homes we run in Cambridge
Real homes we manage in Cambridge today. Staying here? Every one can be booked direct with us, with no booking-site fee.
Where in Cambridge
The parts of Cambridge we know best
What does well depends on the street. Here is who tends to stay where.
Not on the list? We take on homes across Cambridge. The free assessment tells you straight away.
- City centre and the collegesHomes near King’s Parade and Quayside for graduation families and short city breaks.
- Station area and PetersfieldHomes near the station and Anglia Ruskin for London commuters and university visitors.
- Trumpington and Hills RoadHomes closest to the Biomedical Campus for NHS contractors, patients’ families and pharma visitors on one- to three-month stays.
- Chesterton and Cambridge NorthHomes near the Science Park for tech contractors and weekday business stays.
- Cherry HintonFamily homes near the Folk Festival site.
When guests come
The year in Cambridge
Leisure peaks, and the work stays that fill the weeks in between.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
All yearConstruction, insurance and Biomedical Campus stays through the week, all year
- Winter insurance stays
- General Admission graduations
- Summer visitors and punting
- Cambridge Folk Festival
- Degree ceremonies begin
Compare your options
Three ways to let your home in Cambridge. One does both.
More income and less hassle, without having to choose.
The only option that earns more and asks nothing of you.
See what my home could earnWhat you get
Long let
Perfect BookingWith us
Doing it yourselfDIY
Earns the most your home can
No work for you
Guests looked after 24/7
Priced every day
Checked after every stay
Paperwork and 2027 register
Yes Partly No
Short lets, explained
How a short let fills the week in Cambridge
A long let pays one rent. A short let is booked by the night or the week, so it can take a work stay in the week and a leisure stay at the weekend, and price each night for the demand.
- Priced for every night, not once a year
- Longer stays fill the quieter months
- One payout and one statement each month
If your home would earn more as a long let, we will tell you.
An example weekAn illustration, not a forecast
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
- MondayThe work guest checks in with our arrival guide.
- FridayCleaned, restocked and checked between stays.
- SundayChecked out, cleaned and ready for next week.
Local rules
The rules in Cambridge, handled
What applies to a home in Cambridge, and what we do about each one. Last checked September 2026.
Council tax in Cambridge
Cambridge City Council charges a 100% premium, double council tax, on furnished homes that are nobody’s main residence, with the statutory exceptions. A home that qualifies for business rates pays those instead.
Planning in Cambridge
There is no fixed night cap or licence. The council judges each case on how often the home is let, the turnover of guests, its size and whether it still works as a home. Occasional letting is unlikely to be a change of use.
Rules across England
England's short-let register is due by March 2027, a home let for at least 70 nights a year (and available for 140) pays business rates instead of council tax, and the furnished holiday lettings tax regime ended in April 2025. Read our guide to the rules
Cambridge City Council charges a 100% premium on furnished homes that are nobody’s main residence, with statutory exceptions such as homes actively marketed for sale or let. A let that meets the business-rates test pays business rates instead.
Cambridge has no fixed night cap. The council looks at how often the home is let, turnover, size and whether it still works as a home. Occasional letting is unlikely to be a change of use, while intensive whole-home letting can be.
University visitors and graduation families, staff and visitors at the Biomedical Campus, Science Park businesses and tourists all year round.
The fastest trains to King’s Cross take under 50 minutes. Cambridge North to King’s Cross takes about an hour, and Greater Anglia runs to Liverpool Street in about 1 hour 13 minutes.
The centre suits graduation families and city breaks. Trumpington and Hills Road suit stays linked to the Biomedical Campus, and Chesterton suits Science Park contractors near Cambridge North station.
Yes. Addenbrooke’s, Royal Papworth and AstraZeneca’s research centre on the Biomedical Campus bring professionals on weekday and month-long stays.
A percentage of what each booking pays out: 15% + VAT on bookings from the booking sites, and 5% + VAT more on bookings that come direct to us. There is a one-off setup fee, and photography is priced separately, both agreed with you before anything starts. Guests pay for cleaning.
Yes. Whether you call it Airbnb management, co-hosting, holiday-let or serviced accommodation management, we run the whole thing: listings on Airbnb, Booking.com and other sites, pricing, guests, cleaning and maintenance. We take work and contractor stays as well as holidays.
Where we work
Everywhere we cover
We run homes in nine areas across England and Wales. Pick one for its homes, local guides and rules.
Looking for somewhere to stay? Book a stay with us. Working in Cambridge? Contractor and insurance stays in Cambridge.
Discover your home's value
We only take on homes we're confident we can grow.
Every empty night is income you don't get back
Request your free estimate in about 30 seconds. Free, no obligation, and you keep the written assessment whatever you decide.
Takes about 30 seconds
A written report to keep
No pressure, no obligation
Takes about 30 seconds
Free home earnings assessmentYou're 17% there
Welcome back, we saved your answers.
What could your home earn?
Five quick questions. First, what type of property is it?
Free, no obligation. We never sell your details.
How many bedrooms?
Nice. Bedrooms are the biggest driver of nightly rate.
Where is it?
Last question. So we can see exactly which home it is and compare it with similar ones nearby.
What we'll check for this address
- Local demandBookings and nightly rates for similar homes nearby
- Your area's rulesAny local planning limits on short lets
- Kept privateOnly used for your estimate, never sold
What's happening with it now?
Nice, that's the basics done. Now a bit about how it's used.
What matters most to you?
This shapes the strategy we recommend.
We're preparing your estimate
Thanks . We're checking your home against similar properties nearby. Your full estimate will be in your inbox within 24 hours.
Want to talk it through?
Book a 30-minute call and we'll go through your figures together.
Book my 30-minute call
Sources we checked in September 2026
- Cambridge City Council: council tax for empty and second homes
- Cambridge City Council: business rates for self-catering
- Cambridge City Council: briefing note on short-term lets
- University of Cambridge: degree ceremony dates
- Royal Papworth Hospital: about us
- AstraZeneca: Cambridge
- Cambridge Science Park
- Cambridge City Council: Folk Festival returns
- Great Northern: Cambridge North to King’s Cross
- Hansard: House of Commons, 3 September 2026 (Culture Secretary on the short-let register)
- GOV.UK: delivering a registration scheme for short-term lets
- GOV.UK: business rates for self-catering and holiday lets
- GOV.UK: abolition of the furnished holiday lettings tax regime
- House of Commons Library: council tax premiums on second homes
About this guide. Researched and written by the Perfect Booking team from the official sources above, and checked in September 2026. It is general information, not tax, legal or planning advice: check your own circumstances with your council or an adviser.
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