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 St Austell? An independent guide to holiday let management in St Austell and across PL25 and PL26: what each service involves, what agencies typically charge, and how to find and check one. We’re not a letting or management agency.
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St Austell (PL25, PL26) covers china clay country plus the high-value coastal villages of Mevagissey, Pentewan and Charlestown — and that split matters for holiday lets. Coastal Mevagissey and Charlestown achieve gross yields comfortably above £30,000 for 3-bed cottages; the inland clay villages (Bugle, Foxhole) trade closer to long-let rental yields. Eden Project demand keeps shoulder-season occupancy strong year-round. This guide covers the PL25–PL26 area plus Roche, Bugle, Foxhole, Sticker and Tregony.
Mevagissey, Pentewan and Charlestown have tight harbour-front streets — changeover cleaners need vans that can park on the harbour and stage the laundry shuttle, not full Lutons. The best changeover firms in this area work in pairs on Saturday turnovers, with one person handling linens-and-supply while the other deep-cleans. Owners should also check the conservation-area planning rules — both Charlestown and Mevagissey have specific constraints on signage and external changes that affect new-build holiday lets.
St Austell splits sharply. The town itself is a practical base with modest rates; the coastal villages — Charlestown, Mevagissey, Pentewan, Porthpean — are genuine destinations commanding much stronger nightly rates. Which side of that line your property sits on matters more than the postcode suggests.
Proximity to the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan brings a steady flow of visitors well outside the beach season, including school holidays and off-peak weekends. Properties that market to that audience typically achieve a longer season than pure beach lets.
Mevagissey's narrow streets and parking restrictions make changeovers genuinely harder than elsewhere — cleaners and linen deliveries have to work around it. Any management quote for a Mevagissey property should reflect that, and one that doesn't probably hasn't understood the property.
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.
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Full management, key holding, changeover cleaning, guest communications, or letting-only. Whatever you need looking after in St Austell, 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.
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 St Austell 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 St Austell and the surrounding villages across PL25 and PL26, including Mevagissey, Pentewan, Charlestown, Roche, Bugle, Foxhole, Sticker and Tregony. 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.
It can bite hard here. Cornwall Council applies a 100% council tax premium on second homes, which doubles the bill for properties that don't qualify for business rates — and the coastal villages around Mevagissey and Charlestown are full of borderline cases. Hitting the 140-day availability / 70-day letting thresholds moves you onto business rates instead, where Small Business Rate Relief often wipes the bill entirely.
Not at the same rates. The coastal villages — Charlestown, Mevagissey, Pentewan — are genuine destinations and command substantially more. A town property works as a practical, well-priced base, particularly for Eden Project visitors, but it's a different proposition.
It does. Eden and Heligan both draw visitors well outside the beach season, including off-peak weekends and school holidays. Properties that market to that audience rather than purely to beach visitors typically achieve a longer season.