How much does an Airbnb earn in Bristol? Real figures and 2026 benchmarks

A two-bedroom flat in central Bristol that we managed for nine months sold 85% of its nights at an average of £189 a night, which came to £44,100 in bookings over those nine months, a little under £4,900 a month gross on average and more than £6,000 in its best months. Below is where that number came from, how it compares with the published 2026 benchmarks, and what is left after costs.

A real flat, not a model

Most Bristol earnings articles are built on a calculator: pick a nightly rate, pick an occupancy figure, multiply. We have one property we do not need to model, because we ran it.

It is a two-bedroom apartment in the city centre, a short walk from the harbour. Over nine months with us it sold 85% of its nights at an average of £189. Its four strongest months took £6,646, £6,284, £6,095 and £5,773 in bookings. The same flat would have let on a standard tenancy for about £2,000 a month, so in those months it earned roughly three times the long-let rent before costs. In a later August it sold 29 of 31 nights for £5,092.

The owner's name, the address and the years are withheld, but the figures are from our own booking records. The full breakdown is in our Bristol city centre apartment case study and in what a two-bed flat in central Bristol really earns on short lets.

2026 benchmarks for Bristol

Houst (updated 18 June 2026) puts a professionally managed two-bed in Bristol at around £183 a night and 70% occupancy, or about £3,836 a month and £46,000 a year gross. Airbtics (updated 16 October 2026, data from September 2025 to August 2026) gives a median across all 1,974 active Bristol listings of £30,000 a year, with an average daily rate of £121 and 66% occupancy. AirROI (trailing twelve months to October 2026) publishes a breakdown by size for a small sample of 59 central Bristol listings.

• Studio: £83 a night, 45% occupancy, £7,240 a year (median). AirROI, to October 2026.

• One bedroom: £138 a night, 43% occupancy, £13,300 a year (median). AirROI, to October 2026.

• Two bedrooms: £177 a night, 45% occupancy, £25,900 a year (median). AirROI, to October 2026.

• Two bedrooms, managed: £183 a night, 70% occupancy, about £46,000 a year. Houst, June 2026.

• Two bedrooms, our flat: £189 a night, 85% occupancy, about £58,000 a year. Guesture booking records.

The gap between the AirROI median and the managed figures is the point. A listing left to run itself sits below 50% occupancy; one that is priced every week and answered within minutes runs at 70% or better.

Gross versus net

Gross is what the guest pays; the owner keeps a good deal less. Take a two-bed grossing £50,000 a year, a round number between the Houst figure and ours.

Channel commission on Airbnb, Booking.com and the rest averages about 15%, so £7,500 goes to the platforms. Our full management is 15% plus VAT, 18% of bookings, or £9,000. Cleaning is charged to the guest as a separate fee, so it broadly nets to zero. That leaves about £33,500. The owner still pays utilities, council tax, broadband, insurance, linen, consumables and small repairs, which on a city-centre two-bed typically come to £5,000 to £8,000 a year.

Net to the owner: roughly £25,500 to £28,500, against £24,000 a year from a £2,000 long let before agent fees, void periods and wear. The short-let return is better, but it is not double, and it depends on hitting the occupancy.

What moves the number

Pricing against Bristol's calendar. Rates should move with demand: conference weeks, Bristol City and Bristol Bears fixtures at Ashton Gate, graduation weekends in July, the Harbour Festival and the Balloon Fiesta in August. Our flat sold 29 of 31 August nights because the rate followed those weekends rather than sitting at one price all month.

Channels plus direct. More than one platform fills gaps, and a direct booking route saves commission on repeat guests.

Orphan nights. One- and two-night gaps between bookings are where occupancy is lost. Adjusting minimum stays and pricing those gaps separately is much of the difference between 45% and 85%.

Photography. Professional photographs lift both the click-through rate and the nightly rate a listing can hold. It is the cheapest fix here.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Airbnb hosts make in Bristol?

The median across all Bristol listings is about £30,000 a year gross (Airbtics, October 2026). A well-run two-bed in the centre earns between £46,000 (Houst, June 2026) and the £58,000 a year our own flat was running at. Owners keep roughly 55% to 60% of gross after platform fees, management and running costs.

Is Airbnb in Bristol saturated?

Not for a well-run listing. Airbtics counts 1,974 active listings in Bristol with occupancy down 8.4% year on year but the average rate up 7.8%. The market is rewarding properties that are priced and presented properly and leaving the rest with empty midweek nights.

Do I need planning permission for an Airbnb in Bristol?

There is no 90-night limit in Bristol. That rule applies to London only, under the Deregulation Act 2015 (gov.uk, 26 May 2015). Elsewhere in England, gov.uk guidance (updated 2 October 2026) says the local planning authority decides whether short-letting counts as a change of use, so check with Bristol City Council if you are unsure. A national registration scheme for short-term lets in England is expected to start in March 2027. Also check your lease, your mortgage terms and your building's rules, as many Bristol flats have restrictions on holiday letting.

Which areas of Bristol do best?

Clifton typically achieves a nightly rate above the city average, followed by the Harbourside and city centre, then Redland and Cotham. Bedminster and Southville run at lower rates but with strong demand (Houst, June 2026). Our own figure comes from the city centre, where walking distance to the harbour and the station supports both rate and occupancy.

How much does Airbnb management cost?

Full management in Bristol usually costs between 12% and 20% plus VAT of booking revenue. Ours is 15% plus VAT for full management, or 12% plus VAT for distribution only, and the worked example above uses the 15% figure. Cleaning and linen are normally charged to the guest rather than the owner.

Thinking about short-letting a Bristol flat?

We manage apartments in Bristol and across South Wales, and we will tell you what your flat is likely to earn from our own records rather than a calculator. See our short-term rental management in Bristol page or get in touch.

All figures are gross booking revenue unless stated otherwise. Owner details have been withheld at the owner's request.