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Best Property Management in Newport · Quality Business Awards 2025 and 2026
Award-winning Airbnb and holiday let management in Newport
Guesture is a Newport company that manages Airbnb homes, holiday lets and short lets for owners across the city, from 12% + VAT. We won Best Property Management in Newport at the Quality Business Awards in 2025 and 2026, and we take care of pricing, listings, photography, guests, cleaning, maintenance and Wales registration for you.
Run by a hotelier, not a call centre. You deal with Pedro Reis, our founder, who spent eight years in hotel management, and his mobile is the owner line.
An estimate from comparable homes, not a guarantee of income.
QBA 2026
Best Property Management
in Newport
Proof
Awards and reviews behind our Newport work
Newport's own business awards named us Best Property Management in Newport two years running, and guests rate our homes 4.8 out of 5.
Best Property Management in Newport
Quality Business Awards 2025 and 2026 (2026: overall quality score of 95% or more)
Entrepreneur of the Year
Service Industries, Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2024
4.8 ★ from 382
guest reviews, Trustindex, October 2026
Airbnb Superhost
Plum Guide partner · Marriott Homes & Villas accredited
86% occupancy
Eveswell Studios, Newport, 2021–2024
15 homes
under management, October 2026
Since 2017
Filmed in by Netflix, S4C and BBC Studios
Our home city
Why Newport works for short lets: conferences, the M4 and the riverfront
Newport draws conference delegates, contractors, business travellers, match-day crowds and visiting families, and many of them stay for more than a weekend. That mix is why we price every Newport home daily around the city's own calendar, not just the summer.
Conferences and events at ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor
ICC Wales, off junction 24 of the M4, has a 1,500-seat auditorium and a 4,000 sqm hall for conferences, exhibitions and weddings. The Celtic Manor Resort is home of the 2010 Ryder Cup and hosted the 2014 NATO Summit. Delegates, exhibitors and wedding guests all need somewhere to stay, and we build event dates into your pricing.
The M4 corridor: contractors and project teams
Six M4 junctions run through Newport, from 24 at Coldra to 28 at Tredegar Park. Industry is investing here: Vishay is putting £51m into Newport Wafer Fab, and KLA chose Newport for its European headquarters. Engineers and contractors on long jobs want a furnished home with parking near the motorway, like The M4 Escape by junction 26.
City centre and riverfront: business travel by train
Newport is 90 minutes from London by rail, and it sits between Bristol, 30 miles east, and the Welsh capital, 12 miles west. City-centre and riverside flats suit business travellers and visitors arriving by train. Crescent Apartments are in the city centre, and the Riverfront Apartment is on the River Usk.
Match days at Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is home to Newport County AFC and is shared with Newport RFC and Dragons Rugby. Fixtures there are among the local events our daily pricing follows.
Longer stays near the university and the hospital
The University of South Wales has its Newport campus on the riverfront, and the Royal Gwent Hospital sits on the western edge of the centre. Visiting staff, professionals and families often need more than a night or two. Across our homes, 45% of nights in the 12 months to September 2026 came from stays of a week or longer.
Newport at a glance
Visitor levy
None
No Welsh council consulting on one
Wales register
Every holiday let, by 31 March 2027
Second-home premium
100%
Council tax premium since 1 April 2025
Business-rates test
252 nights available, 182 let; averaging over 24 or 36 months since 1 April 2026
M4 junctions
Six
24 to 28
London by rail
90 minutes · Bristol 30 miles
ICC Wales
1,500-seat auditorium
Checked 29 October 2026. Sources: gov.wales, newport.gov.uk, GOV.UK, iccwales.com.
Homes we look after in the city
Our Newport homes: city centre, riverfront and the M4
We run homes right across Newport, from three city-centre flats at Crescent Apartments to a four-bedroom family house on Kensington Place. Each one has its own page, its own brand and its own booking accounts.
Crescent Apartments
Three one-bedroom flats in Newport city centre, each with its own listing.
Riverfront Apartment, The Oliver
Two bedrooms and two bathrooms by the River Usk, with parking.
The M4 Escape
A first-floor, one-bedroom flat on Malpas Road, under a minute's drive from junction 26, with free parking.
Woodland View
A four-bedroom family house on Kensington Place that sleeps eight.
Looking for somewhere to stay rather than a manager? Book a stay in Newport.
Fees
Newport management fees, from 12% + VAT
Full Management costs 15% of the gross booking value, plus VAT. Distribution Only is 12% and Hyper Exposure 20%, each plus VAT, and onboarding is free.
Way of working
Fee
What it covers
Distribution Only
12% + VAT
Your listings on Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and more, all from one calendar, with commission-free direct bookings on guesture.co.uk
Full Management
our complete service
15% + VAT
Everything in Distribution Only, plus guest messaging and ID checks; cleaning, linen and turnovers; check-in, keys and maintenance; and your Wales registration
Hyper Exposure
20% + VAT
Everything in Full Management, plus Plum Guide and Marriott Homes & Villas, and a featured place on guesture.co.uk
Hotels and aparthotels
from 10%
Pricing, distribution, guests and the day-to-day, run by a former hotel general manager
Concept development
from £10,000
New hospitality ventures, from branding to full operations, including larger venues
Letting agents
0%
Introduce landlords who'd suit short lets and keep your own commission
Guaranteed rent
for suitable homes
A fixed monthly rent instead of a share of the bookings; terms in your proposal
Onboarding
Free
We hold back £1,000 from your first income and pay it back in monthly instalments over your 12-month minimum term.
Our fee is a percentage of the gross booking value: what the guest pays for the stay, before platform fees. VAT is added to the fee. Each clean is charged separately at the cleaner's rate, which depends on bedrooms and linen. Maintenance, cleaning products and replenishments are passed through and shown on your monthly statement. You keep paying utilities, council tax, broadband and insurance.
See our management fees tier by tier, with a worked example.
Included in Full Management
✓
Pricing reviewed every day, after a competitor analysis for your home · pricing and listings
✓
Professional photography that we commission and own · holiday let photography
✓
Listings written room by room, with a caption for every photo
✓
Its own logo, guest area and online check-in form for every guest
✓
Guest messaging day and night, and ID checks before every booking is confirmed · guest messaging and ID checks
✓
Self check-in, with codes changed between stays · self check-in and key exchange
✓
Cleaning, linen and turnovers · cleaning and linen
✓
Maintenance through vetted local trades, with you kept informed
✓
Wales registration at no cost; a monthly statement and a calendar-only login
The agreement in five lines
✓
You sign online, and the agreement runs for at least 12 months.
✓
Ending it takes 90 days' notice.
✓
Bookings already taken are honoured.
✓
We're your home's only manager while it runs.
✓
Your income isn't guaranteed: our fee is a share of what your home earns. If you'd rather have a fixed monthly figure, ask about guaranteed rent for landlords.
Own a hotel or planning a new venture? See concept development for new hospitality ventures.
Example layout; figures are illustrative.
Rules for Newport owners · checked 29 October 2026
Newport holiday let rules: register, levy and council tax
Newport charges no visitor levy today, but every Newport holiday let must be on the Welsh Government's register by 31 March 2027. A home that pays council tax can also face Newport's 100% second-home premium. Here's what applies, and what we do about each.
1 Apr 2025
Newport's 100% second-home premium starts
1 Apr 2026
Nights let can be averaged over 24 or 36 months
31 Mar 2027
Deadline to join the Wales register
1 Apr 2027
Proposed changes to the business-rates test
Join the Wales register by 31 March 2027
If you take bookings for stays of 31 nights or fewer anywhere in Wales, you must join the Welsh Government's visitor accommodation register by 31 March 2027, and a penalty may apply if you don't. It applies even where the council charges no levy. Registration is free, an agent can register for you, and changes must be updated within 30 days.
What we do
We register every home we manage at no cost, and other owners' homes for £49.
Source: gov.wales (updated 28 October 2026) · our Wales registration guide
No visitor levy in Newport, for now
Guests staying in Newport pay no visitor levy. The Welsh Government's checker doesn't list Newport as charging it, and lists no council consulting on one. Newport City Council has said it has no plans to introduce it.
What we do
Nothing to collect in Newport today. If a levy ever comes, we'd add it to each booking as a separate charge, so it wouldn't come out of your nightly rate.
Own a home in the capital too? The levy does apply there: see Airbnb management in Cardiff. Source: gov.wales visitor levy checker
Newport's 100% second-home premium
Since 1 April 2025 Newport has charged a 100% council tax premium on second homes, which doubles the standard bill, and the council says this can include short-term holiday lets that pay council tax. A holiday let that qualifies for business rates doesn't pay it, and nor does a home with a planning condition limiting it to holiday use.
What we do
Your monthly statements record every night let, so you and your accountant have the figures.
Source: newport.gov.uk
The 182-night business-rates test
A self-catering home in Wales pays business rates instead of council tax if, in a 12-month period, it was available to let for 252 nights and actually let for 182, counting only stays of 28 nights or fewer. Since 1 April 2026 you can average the nights let over the previous 24 or 36 months, or across several homes in the same location. The Welsh Government is reviewing the 182-night threshold, with any change intended from 1 April 2027.
What we do
Stays of up to 28 nights count towards the test, including week-long and fortnight bookings. Your statements show every night let, so you can see where you stand.
Source: GOV.UK (updated 30 September 2026) · gov.wales written statement, 31 July 2026
Fire safety, certificates, the coming licensing scheme and the end of FHL tax relief apply to every holiday let in Wales: see the full Wales holiday let rules
How it works
Five steps to letting your Newport home
It takes five steps, starting with a call and a visit to your home. Once the agreement is signed, a home that's ready to let can be live in about a week.
1
2
3
4
5
A call, then a visit
Tell us about your home. Pedro or a member of the team calls you back and comes to see it; we're based in Newport.
Your proposal
A pricing and competitor analysis for your home, with the way of working we'd suggest.
Sign online
You sign the agreement online, then we collect your certificates, insurance, permission to let and register details.
Photos, listings and set-up
Our cleaners make the beds, we stage lightly and the photographer shoots inside and out. Then come the listings, your home's logo, guest area, online check-in and registration.
Live on every channel
Your home goes live once its pricing is in place. You get a WhatsApp from Pedro, a calendar login and, from then on, a monthly statement.
3–4 Oct
Agreement signed
6 Oct
Kick-off
Sat 10 Oct
Photoshoot
Tue 13 Oct
Live
A recent home, October 2026: about a week from contract to live. Homes that need certificates, furniture or repairs first take longer.
With another manager now? Check the notice period in your current agreement first. Your home launches on its own new accounts, with its own brand, and we plan the hand-over date around bookings already taken. How we take a home live, step by step
Newport case study
Eveswell Studios: ten Newport studios at 86% occupancy
From January 2021 to August 2024 we ran Eveswell Studios, ten studios on Chepstow Road in Newport. They averaged 86% occupancy and took £688k in bookings, with 62% of nights booked direct. We welcomed the first guests on 31 January 2021, during lockdown, and the last on 30 August 2024.
£688k
in bookings, Jan 2021 to Aug 2024
86%
average occupancy
11,048
nights across 886 stays
62%
of nights booked direct
12.5 nights
average stay, with 49 repeat guests
4.77
from 198 Airbnb reviews
Whole-building figures for ten studios, not a guide to one flat, and past results are not a forecast. Booking values from Hostify, including cleaning fees. The owners prefer not to be named.
Bookings and occupancy, year by year
Year
Bookings
Occupancy
2021
£124,848
81%
2022
£212,459
88%
2023
£201,985
84%
2024, to 30 August
£149,083
90%
Short lets against a long let
In January 2021 a letting agent valued the studios at £650–700 a month each, about £80k a year. As short lets they took about £200k a year in bookings. Bills, cleaning and our fee come out of the short-let figure, so the two aren't like for like.
Crescent Apartments: from Homes Under the Hammer to 4.6 times the forecast
Three city-centre flats that featured on the BBC's Homes Under the Hammer, where they were forecast £500–£550 a month each in rent. Run as short lets with us for their owner, Owen, their best month brought in £7,563 in bookings, 4.6 times the programme's forecast for the building, and the last 12 months £69,666. Bookings are before costs and our fee, so the figures aren't like for like.
In their words
What a Newport owner says about Guesture
Owen owns Crescent Apartments in Newport city centre, which we manage. In his words:
“
His attention to detail, coupled with a strong commitment to our guests' and our own satisfaction, is why we would highly recommend Pedro and Guesture.
Owen, Crescent Apartments, Newport
“What stands out the most with Pedro is his unwavering passion for his hospitality work.”
Owen, Crescent Apartments, Newport
“The Guesture team was there for us even when I needed urgent assistance, Pedro called me back from the top of a mountain while on a ski trip to Italy… Their commitment and professionalism are unmatched.”
Owen, Crescent Apartments, Newport
And what guests say about our Newport homes
“An absolutely brilliant stay! The hosts were exceptional and genuinely went above and beyond to help us, offering great advice and making sure everything was perfect throughout our visit. The accommodation was spotless, comfortable, and had everything we needed.”
Lucy, guest at Crescent Apartments, December 2025 · Airbnb, 5 stars
4.8 average from 382 guest reviews (Trustindex, October 2026). At Eveswell Studios, guests left 4.77 from 198 Airbnb reviews. Read more reviews
Who you'll deal with
A Newport company, run by a hotelier
Guesture is based in Newport, and you deal with its founder, Pedro Reis, a former hotel general manager.
Pedro studied hospitality management in Portugal and opened his first hostel while still a student. He then spent eight years in hotel management, including as General Manager of the Manor Hotel in Crickhowell, a four-star hotel with an AA Rosette kitchen. He founded Guesture in 2017.
He runs your home the way a good hotel is run: priced every day, cleaned to a standard, and looked after from the first message to the last review. His mobile, 07787 048216, is the owner line, and it's also the number guests call in an emergency. He's a member of the Dragons of Newport business network, and we take on a small number of homes each year so each gets our full attention.
8 years
in hotel management
Since 2017
founder and director
Dragons of Newport
business network member
Where we work
Newport neighbourhoods we cover
We cover the whole of Newport, from the centre and the riverfront to the M4 junctions and the Caerleon and Langstone side. If your home is in or near the city, send us the postcode and we'll tell you honestly whether it suits short lets.
1
City centre
Flats for business travellers and visitors arriving by train. We run Crescent Apartments here.
2
The riverfront
Flats along the River Usk, close to the centre and the University of South Wales's riverfront campus. Home of the Riverfront Apartment at The Oliver.
3
East Newport
Family houses and studios east of the river, a short drive from ICC Wales. Woodland View is on Kensington Place, and Eveswell Studios ran on Chepstow Road.
4
North Newport and Malpas
Close to junction 26 for contractors and anyone travelling by car. The M4 Escape is on Malpas Road.
5
Caerleon, Langstone and the Celtic Manor side
Near junctions 24 and 25, ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor Resort, for event, conference and wedding guests. We take on homes here too.
Free for owners
Guesture · 2026–27
The Wales holiday-let checklist
☐ Register with the WRA
☐ The Cardiff visitor levy
☐ Council tax or business rates
☐ Gas, electrics, alarms
☐ Lender, insurer, freeholder
The Wales holiday-let checklist for 2026–27
The visitor accommodation register, the Cardiff levy, council tax or business rates, safety and permissions, on two pages, each point with its source. We’ll email it to you now.
See our privacy policy.
Questions
Newport owners' questions, answered
Fourteen questions Newport owners ask us before they sign, answered plainly.
How much does Airbnb management cost in Newport?
Full Management costs 15% of the gross booking value, plus VAT, meaning what the guest pays for the stay before platform fees. Distribution Only costs 12% and Hyper Exposure 20%, each plus VAT. Hotels and aparthotels start from 10%, and letting agents can introduce landlords at 0% and keep their own commission. Each clean is charged separately at the cleaner's rate, and your proposal recommends the tier that suits your home.
Is there an onboarding or set-up fee?
Onboarding is free. We hold back £1,000 from your first income and pay it back in monthly instalments over your 12-month minimum term. Onboarding covers set-up, listing creation, professional photography, pricing and connecting your home to the booking channels. Your home also gets its own brand, logo, guest area and booking accounts, and it goes live only once its pricing is right.
Is short-letting worth it in Newport compared with a long let?
It can be, but compare what you keep, not just what guests pay. At Eveswell Studios, ten studios we ran on Chepstow Road, bookings came to about £200k a year against a letting agent's long-let estimate of about £80k. The owner's bills, cleaning and our fee came out of the short-let figure, so the two aren't like for like. Your proposal sets out the numbers for your own home.
How much could my Newport property earn?
It depends on location, size, finish and season, so we give figures after we've seen your home: your proposal includes a pricing and competitor analysis for it. As a real Newport example, Eveswell Studios averaged 86% occupancy from 2021 to 2024 and took £212,459 in bookings in 2022, across ten studios. Past results aren't a forecast, and on our management tiers income isn't guaranteed.
Who books short stays in Newport?
Conference and event guests at ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor Resort, contractors and engineers working along the M4, business travellers, visiting families and supporters heading to Rodney Parade. Many stay longer than a weekend: across our homes, 45% of nights in the 12 months to September 2026 came from stays of a week or longer. We review every home's prices daily around those dates.
Does Newport charge a visitor levy?
No. Newport doesn't charge the visitor levy, and the Welsh Government's checker lists no council consulting on one (checked 29 October 2026). Newport City Council has said it has no plans to introduce it. You still need to register your holiday let on the Welsh Government's register by 31 March 2027, because registration applies whether or not your council charges a levy.
Do I need to register my Newport holiday let, and can you do it for me?
Yes. If you take bookings of 31 nights or fewer anywhere in Wales, you must register on the Welsh Government's visitor accommodation register by 31 March 2027, and a penalty may apply if you don't. Registration is free, an agent can register for you, and changes must be updated within 30 days. We register every home we manage at no cost, and other owners' homes for £49.
Will my Newport holiday let pay the second-home council tax premium?
It might. Since 1 April 2025 Newport has charged a 100% premium on second homes, and the council says that can include short-term holiday lets that pay council tax. A holiday let that qualifies for business rates instead doesn't pay it, and nor does a home with a planning condition limiting it to holiday use. Your monthly statements record every night let, so you and your accountant have the figures.
How does the 182-night business-rates test work for a Newport holiday let?
It's a Wales-wide rule. A self-catering home pays business rates rather than council tax if, in a 12-month period, it was available to let for 252 nights and actually let for 182, counting stays of 28 nights or fewer. Since 1 April 2026 you can average the nights let over 24 or 36 months, or across nearby homes. The Welsh Government is reviewing the threshold, with any change intended from 1 April 2027.
Which parts of Newport do you cover?
All of Newport. Today we run homes in the city centre (Crescent Apartments), on the riverfront (the Riverfront Apartment at The Oliver), in north Newport near junction 26 (The M4 Escape) and in east Newport (Woodland View on Kensington Place). We also take on homes around Caerleon, Langstone and the Celtic Manor, and nearby in Cwmbran. Send us your postcode and we'll tell you honestly whether it suits short lets.
Are you a Newport company?
Yes. Guesture is based in Newport, where our registered office is, and we won Best Property Management in Newport at the Quality Business Awards in 2025 and 2026. Our founder, Pedro Reis, spent eight years in hotel management, including as General Manager of the four-star Manor Hotel in Crickhowell. His mobile, 07787 048216, is the owner line, so you deal with him directly.
How long is the management agreement, and what notice do I give?
The agreement has a 12-month minimum term from the day you sign it online, and a 90-day notice period. Bookings already taken are honoured. It's an exclusive appointment, so we're your home's only manager while it runs, and either of us can end it on 7 days' notice for an unremedied breach or insolvency. We take bookings up to 12 months ahead, or six months if you ask in writing.
How quickly can my Newport home go live?
If your home is ready to let, about a week after the agreement is signed. One recent home was signed on 3–4 October 2026, photographed on 10 October and live on 13 October, three days after its photoshoot. Homes that need certificates, furniture or repairs first take longer, and every home goes live only once its pricing is set correctly.
Do you offer guaranteed rent in Newport?
Yes, for homes that suit it. Guaranteed rent pays you a fixed amount each month instead of a share of the bookings, and the terms are set out in your proposal after we've seen the property. With management, you keep the booking income and we take a percentage, so income isn't guaranteed. Tell us on the first call if a fixed monthly figure matters more to you.
More owner questions, from certificates to insurance: holiday let and Airbnb management across South Wales
Get started
Ask for your Newport earnings estimate
Tell us about your home, and Pedro or a member of the team will call you back to arrange a visit and a pricing analysis.
Or get in touch directly
Office: 029 2120 0119
Know an owner who'd be a good fit? Refer a property
An estimate from comparable homes, not a guarantee of income. We'll use your details only to reply about your property. See our privacy policy.
Guesture is a boutique holiday let and Airbnb management company based in Newport: Guesture Property Management Ltd, company number 11527224, registered office Flat 16, The Oliver, Bathstone Mews, Newport NP19 0PT. Founded by Pedro Reis in 2017 and renamed Guesture in 2024 (formerly AirFreedom). 15 homes under management (October 2026). Property Redress Scheme PRS041497 · ICO ZA638801 · VAT registered. Guesture is an independent company and is not connected to GuestReady or Guesty.
Last updated 29 October 2026. Facts checked by Pedro Reis, founder. Newport and Wales rules checked against gov.wales, newport.gov.uk and GOV.UK on 29 October 2026.