South West coast · England
Cornwall holiday let: price, break-even and rules
Cornwall is the benchmark most UK holiday-let buyers start with: nationally recognised beach, food and walking demand, deep comparables, and purchase prices that already price most of that demand in.
Ranked 17 of 27 in the UK Break-Even Index. Average purchase price £275,642 (Cornwall, July 2026).
Cornwall UK HPI, July 2026. down 0.7% over 12 months.
£220 at 45% occupancy · £163 at 65%.
25% deposit, SDLT (additional property rates), £18,000 furnishing and £2,500 legal/survey.
11.9% of the average purchase price, before you take a penny of profit.
These are area averages, not a valuation. A cottage in a honeypot village will sit well above the figure; a market-town terrace can sit below it. Replace the price with the actual asking price in the Deal Checker.
What the number means
If you cannot evidence £186 a night at 55% occupancy, the average Cornwall purchase does not break even.
That rate is after 18% management and 3% platform fees, £115 cleaning every four-night stay, and the fixed costs in the stated cost model. It is not a recommended nightly rate. It is the floor at which the mortgage and the bills are covered, with no owner profit and no void reserve beyond the occupancy assumption.
A typical Cornwall listing that actually books at £226–£266 in peak weeks can still fail the year if shoulder and winter nights sit well below this floor.
Price by property type
Same model, Land Registry type averages for Cornwall.
| Type | Average price | Break-even ADR |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £228,014 | £171 |
| Semi-detached | £276,890 | £187 |
| Detached | £421,751 | £232 |
| Flat / maisonette | £144,632 | £146 |
Demand
Who actually books here.
Very high and well evidenced. St Ives, Padstow, Falmouth, Newquay, the Roseland and the Lizard each have a distinct guest profile; dog-friendly and parking-led family cottages book widest. Peak weeks sell out early, so the model lives or dies on April–June and September–October.
Strong July–August peak with a long shoulder. Winter occupancy is thin outside the larger towns, which is why break-even at 55% is a fair test rather than a pessimistic one.
Property types that fit: Two- to four-bed cottages with parking, converted barns, and premium coastal houses with outdoor space. Flats in resort towns can trade well but often carry lease restrictions on short lets.
Local rules
Check these before you offer.
Cornwall Council charges a 100% council tax premium on second homes (from April 2025) and has lobbied for a registration scheme. Several neighbourhood plans (St Ives, Mevagissey and others) restrict new builds to principal residences. Check planning and lease position before offering.
Go deeper
Existing Cornwall research on this site.
Nearby areas
Compare the next market, not the postcard.
Next step
Test a real Cornwall listing, not the average.
The figures above use the district average. Your deal is a specific house. Run it through the free Deal Checker, then buy the £39 report if you want the workbook kept.
FAQs
Common questions
How much does a holiday let cost in Cornwall?
The UK HPI average for Cornwall in July 2026 is £275,642. A typical mortgaged buyer in this model needs about £106,975 in cash (deposit, additional-dwelling purchase tax, furnishing and legal). Honeypot streets cost more than the average; market towns less.
What nightly rate does a Cornwall holiday let need to break even?
£186 a night at 55% occupancy of 320 available nights, using 75% LTV at 5.75% interest-only, 18% management, 3% platform fees and the stated fixed costs. At 45% occupancy the floor is £220; at 65% it is £163.
Is Cornwall a good place to buy a holiday let?
Only if a specific property can evidence a nightly rate at or above the break-even figure after fees, and the local rules allow holiday use. Cornwall ranks 17 of 27 on the Break-Even Index. Read the demand and rules on this page, then run the actual listing through the Deal Checker.
What rules apply to holiday lets in Cornwall?
Cornwall Council charges a 100% council tax premium on second homes (from April 2025) and has lobbied for a registration scheme. Several neighbourhood plans (St Ives, Mevagissey and others) restrict new builds to principal residences. Check planning and lease position before offering.
House prices: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index for Cornwall, July 2026, open data under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Break-even figures are educational illustrations from one cost model, not a valuation, forecast or recommendation to buy. Confirm tax, planning and lending with qualified advisers.