What Does a Long Term Let Mean? and How Long Are They For?
Several terms are used in the lettings industry to describe various types of letting. There are short-term lets, long-term lets, holiday lets, and student lets, amongst others.
A residential long-term let is usually regarded as a property that is let to someone (or a property that is rented by someone) to live in as their permanent home.
Long-term lets are the most common type of let, and long-term lets may also be known as long-term tenancies or long-term leases. They are the same thing and once a property goes from on the market to let agreed, these are typically assured shorthold tenancies on 6 month or 12 month tenancy and are known as long-term lets.
Article updated: August 2025
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by Robert Jones, Founder of Property Investments UK
With two decades in UK property, Rob has been investing in buy-to-let since 2005, and uses property data to develop tools for property market analysis.
How Long is a Long-Term Let?
A long-term let is for 6 months plus, the same as the minimum term for an assured shorthold tenancy.
Following that definition, it follows that letting for less than six months is generally considered to be a short-term let. A holiday let is a type of short-term let.
Is a Student Let a Long-Term Let?
Student lets are very often for the academic year only. That is, from September to June/July the following year, however, as they are so competive with many students competing for a limited number of private houses to rent, often student lets are rented for 12 months tenancy agreements with rent payable for the whole year even if the student decides to go away during the summer months.
As they are 12 month tenancies yes they would be classed as long term lets.
Long-Term Lets Advantages & Disadvantages for Landlords
Advantages for landlords:
- Consistent income. Once you grant a long-term let to a tenant you will hopefully have a guaranteed income for the entire length of the let.
- Lower bills. A tenant on a long-term let tenancy is responsible for the council tax and utility bills which is better than an empty property, which a landlord would have to pay for (note: unless they wish to challenge their council tax bill).
- Lower maintenance. Tenants who plan to live in a property long term often look after the home better, they treat it more like theirs and keep you updated if there are any issues to solve like maintenance, quickly, which helps you keep the property in a better condition.
- Simpler financing. Raising property finance is often easier and cheaper to get a mortgage on the property than for many other types of letting like holiday lets.
Disadvantages for landlords:
- Licensing. Long-term lets may require additional or selective licensing schemes depending on your area.
- Planning. Planning requirements like Article 4, for some long-term rentals like houses of multiple occupation and student lets with 3 or more unrelated tenants, may be required.
- Training. In Wales, tenancies have changed, and long-term tenancies require registration with Rent Smart Wales and require landlords to have letting agents managing the property or to undertake landlord training.
- Legislation. In England and Wales there are a number of legal obligations landlords need to comply with, from right to rent checks to providing tenants with valid addresses to serve notices as outlined in Section 48 notice legislation.
Like any buy-to-let property strategy, long-term tenancies with buy-to-let investing carries some risks.
Long-Term Lets Advantages & Disadvantages for Tenants
Advantages for tenants:
- Security. Long-term lets offer tenants security of tenure. As long as you abide by the tenancy and pay the rent you are legally entitled to stay in the property until the end of the tenancy. England, Scotland and Wales all have different approaches to this but they are all aligning to give tenants more security for longer to encourage affordable and long term housing.
- Maintenance. With a long-term term let the landlord usually handles most maintenance so you have no property maintenance to deal with and they have to provide a minimum quality of housing with the decent homes standard.
Disdvantages for tenants:
- Starting costs. When you first move in to a property there can be significant costs like moving costs, redecoration to you own preferred style and tenancy deposits as well as your first month's rent upfront.
- Furniture. Unlike holiday lets, corporate lets or serviced accommodation (note: what is the meaning of serviced accommodation), long-term lets are mostly unfurnished lets. You’ll need to provide your own furniture.
- Flexibility. Once you take on a long-term let you will have to stay in the property and pay the rent until the tenancy ends. This can be a problem if your circumstances change, for example if you are working on a temporary contract or visiting an area for a short period of time.