Full Management
Hands-off, end-to-end: marketing, bookings, guest comms, key holding, changeover cleaning, maintenance coordination, year-end statements. Typical commission 15–25% of bookings.
15–25% commissionFull management, key holding, changeover cleaning, guest communications or letting-only for a holiday let in Newquay? An independent guide to holiday let management in Newquay and across TR7 and TR8: what each service involves, what agencies typically charge, and how to find and check one. We’re not a letting or management agency.
We’re still launching in Cornwall and may not have a local holiday let management agency for you yet. Tell us what you need; your confirmation email says straight away what happens next.
Newquay (TR7, TR8) is the surf and family-let capital of Cornwall — Fistral, Watergate and Mawgan Porth deliver the highest occupancy rates in the county (typically 65–75% gross). The market splits cleanly into family-let cottages and apartments (high turnover, intensive changeovers, hot-tub demand) and surf-let apartments (younger demographic, weekend bookings, harder on furniture). This guide covers Newquay and Quintrell Downs, St Columb, Crantock, Cubert, Mawgan Porth, Holywell Bay and Goonhavern.
Newquay is the changeover-cleaning epicentre of Cornwall — Saturday turnovers between May and September are booked out months ahead by the better agencies, and Sunday changeovers are increasingly common to relieve pressure. Hot tubs are now expected (rather than premium) on 3-bed+ family lets, which means the management agency needs chemical-handling and weekly hot-tub servicing as standard. Parking restrictions near Fistral significantly complicate changeover logistics — a good agency will plan around them.
Newquay has one of the most pronounced seasonal curves in Cornwall — very strong summer demand followed by a steep fall. The commercial question for owners here is almost always how much of the shoulder season can be filled, because the summer largely looks after itself.
There's a substantial market for surf trips, stag and hen groups and large family gatherings. Those bookings pay well but carry higher wear, more noise risk and more neighbour complaints. Whether you accept them is a policy decision worth making deliberately rather than by default.
Peak-season Saturdays in Newquay mean a very large number of simultaneous changeovers competing for the same cleaners and linen. Reliable changeover capacity is the single thing that most distinguishes a good management arrangement here from a poor one.
We’re an independent guide, not a letting or management agency. These are the honest options; pick whichever suits you.
Propertymark’s Find an Expert directory lists member letting agents, and PASC UK is the trade body for self-catering holiday lets, with agency members. Neighbours and local property offices are good sources too.
Ask for Public Liability cover, Client Money Protection if they hold your rental income, redress scheme membership (The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme), who owns the listings, the full fee schedule including VAT and any maintenance markup, and the exit terms.
Leave your details and tell us what you need. We’re still looking for Cornish agencies to work with, so we may not have one for you yet; your confirmation email says straight away what happens next. We’ll tell you who before sharing anything, and agencies may pay us for introductions.
Full management, key holding, changeover cleaning, guest communications, or letting-only. Whatever you need looking after in Newquay, here’s what each service involves and what it typically costs.
Hands-off, end-to-end: marketing, bookings, guest comms, key holding, changeover cleaning, maintenance coordination, year-end statements. Typical commission 15–25% of bookings.
15–25% commissionLocal key holder for changeovers, emergencies, contractor access, late arrivals and lost-key callouts. Ideal for owners self-managing bookings but needing on-the-ground cover.
From £30/moSame-day Saturday turnovers, linen change, hot-tub sanitising, deep-cleans between seasons. Cornwall cleaners who know the holiday-let standard, not just domestic.
From £60/turn24/7 enquiry handling, booking confirmations, pre-stay info, mid-stay problem-solving, post-stay review chasing. Outsource the inbox without losing the bookings.
From £30/moProfessional photography, OTA listings (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo), pricing optimisation, calendar sync. You handle the rest. Flat setup fee or low commission.
5–10% commissionFees depend on property size, service level, and whether you're commission-based or flat-fee. Always get a written proposal before you commit.
Marketing-only: photography, listings, pricing strategy, calendar sync. You handle keys, cleaning and guests.
End-to-end. Marketing, bookings, cleaning, key holding, maintenance coordination, guest comms, statements.
Monthly retainer plus £30–£60 per call-out. For owners self-managing but needing local key cover.
Per turnover. 2-bed cottage typically £60–£90; 3-bed £80–£140; 4-bed £130–£200. Linen extra.
Property not in Newquay? Pick your nearest town guide below.
Full-management commission, part-management, changeover-only rates, key-holding retainers, setup fees and the VAT wrinkle — our fees guide sets out what Cornwall agencies actually charge in 2026, tier by tier.
Read the full fees guide →Fire risk assessment, gas safety, EICR, the 140-day business-rates rule, the second-home council tax premium — run the free 10-point checklist every Cornwall holiday-let owner should tick off before peak season.
Run the compliance checklist →Common questions about appointing a holiday let agency in Newquay and the surrounding area.
Full management in Cornwall typically runs 15–25% of gross bookings, occasionally higher for boutique services with photography, marketing extras and concierge add-ons. Letting-only (marketing + OTA listings, you handle everything else) is usually 5–10% commission or a flat setup fee of £400–£900. Key holding is £30–£80/month per property plus £30–£60 per call-out. Always get a written proposal before signing any contract.
For full management trading from peak season, allow 3–4 months ahead so photography, listings, OTA sync and calendar are ready before the Easter rush. For changeover-cleaning-only or key-holding-only, 4–6 weeks is usually enough — though the best Cornwall cleaners book Saturday slots out from January for the year ahead.
Ask for evidence of Public Liability cover (typically £2–£5m) and, if they hold your rental income, Client Money Protection. Check whether they’re registered with The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, whether they belong to Propertymark or PASC UK, and whether they’re accredited via Quality in Tourism / VisitEngland. A good agency will show you the certificates before you sign.
The good agencies operate in your name and on your channels: your Airbnb, Booking.com and direct-booking website all remain owned by you, the agency simply gains login access. Block-out for owner use is always honoured. The contract should set out cancellation fees, exit terms and review periods — read it carefully before signing. See our DIY vs management company guide.
The Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax regime was abolished from 6 April 2025 — your let is now treated as standard residential rental income. Most management agencies do not provide tax advice; they generate the income statements, you (or your accountant) handle the return. The better agencies will flag relevant changes and signpost specialist FHL accountants in Cornwall. See our FHL changes guide.
This guide covers Newquay and the surrounding villages across TR7 and TR8, including Quintrell Downs, St Columb, Crantock, Cubert, Mawgan Porth, Holywell Bay and Goonhavern. We’re an independent guide, so we don’t manage anything ourselves; use the Propertymark directory or PASC UK to find an agency that works your patch, or get a quote from a local holiday let management agency.
Hardest in Cornwall. Newquay is the county's changeover epicentre, and the best cleaning teams have their May–September Saturday slots booked out months ahead — some from January. If you're appointing an agency for this season, do it early; if you're stuck, ask about Sunday or split changeovers, which several Newquay agencies now run to beat the bottleneck.
Very. Summer demand is among the strongest in Cornwall and then falls away sharply. The commercial question for most owners here isn't the peak, which largely fills itself, but how much of the shoulder season can be captured.
It's a genuine policy decision. Surf trips and large groups pay well but bring higher wear, noise risk and neighbour complaints. Plenty of Newquay owners take them profitably; plenty deliberately don't. Decide it consciously rather than discovering your position after a bad weekend.