From our own booking records · 5,741 stays · 104 homes
Manchester short-let data 2026
The homes we managed for the whole year were booked 74% of the nights they were open to guests. Below is everything else our booking records say about short-letting in Manchester: earnings by home size and area, the busiest months, how far ahead guests book, how long they stay and where the bookings come from.
We're Matt and Steph, and we've been hosting since May 2017. These figures cover 5,741 stays and 19,046 guest nights at the 104 homes in Greater Manchester and Cheshire where we hosted guests during those 12 months. We publish them so landlords, journalists and anyone else can use them: download the data, quote it, and credit us.
- Data period
- 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026
- Data extracted
- Published
- Next update
- October 2027
Key findings
Eight numbers from 12 months of bookings
City Superhost booking records, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
- 1
The 54 homes we managed for the whole 12 months to September 2026 were booked 74% of the nights they were open to guests (owner and maintenance nights excluded).
- 2
A booked night averaged £160, or £120 across every available night (accommodation price excluding cleaning fees, before our management fee).
- 3
The typical (median) home earned £31,500 in accommodation revenue over the year, and the middle half earned between £25,000 and £46,500.
- 4
October and November ran at 81 to 82% occupancy, while January dipped to 69%.
- 5
Friday and Saturday nights were 88% booked at around £205, against 68% at around £135 from Sunday to Thursday.
- 6
The typical booking was made 20 days before arrival, and almost 1 in 3 came within a week.
- 7
The median stay was 2 nights, but stays of 7 nights or more were 8% of bookings and 36% of all nights.
- 8
Airbnb brought 67% of our stays and Booking.com 29%, with 3% booked direct.
Occupancy and earnings
What our homes earned, by size
Bigger homes earn more per night without giving up occupancy. Three in four of our full-year homes were booked at least 70% of the nights they were open, and more than 9 in 10 cleared 60%.
| Home size | Homes | Occupancy | Average booked night | Per available night | Typical yearly revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed | 17 | 73% | £90 | £65 | £24,500 |
| 2-bed | 17 | 74% | £130 | £95 | £35,000 |
| 3-bed | 11 | 77% | £190 | £145 | £42,500 |
| 4-bed or more | 9 | 72% | £315 | £225 | £83,000 |
| All full-year homes | 54 | 74% | £160 | £120 | £31,500 |
54 homes managed for the whole 12 months. Occupancy is the share of open nights booked. Per available night is accommodation revenue divided by open nights. Typical yearly revenue is the median home's accommodation revenue.
By area
City centre, suburbs and the Cheshire edge
Our most-booked areas were outside the city centre. The full-year homes in Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon were booked 81% of their open nights, and those across south Manchester and Stockport 80%, against 74% in the city centre. City-centre homes earned more per night at every size, and the gap was widest for three-bed homes and bigger: about £295 a booked night in the centre against £190 elsewhere.
We only show an area when we managed at least five homes there for the whole year, so some neighbourhoods are grouped together. The typical nightly ranges on our area pages for the Northern Quarter, Ancoats, Deansgate, Castlefield and Salford Quays are set from what our one and two-bed homes there actually achieved in this period.
| Area | Homes | Occupancy | Average booked night | Per available night | Typical yearly revenue | What is in the group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester city centre (all) | 27 | 74% | £185 | £135 | £38,000 | Every city-centre home, including the three groups below |
| Piccadilly, the Village and Oxford Road | 13 | 76% | £245 | £185 | £71,500 | Mostly three and four-bed homes, so the rate reflects their size |
| Northern Quarter | 8 | 71% | £125 | £85 | £28,000 | Mostly one and two-bed flats |
| Ancoats, Deansgate, Castlefield and Cornbrook | 6 | 72% | £115 | £85 | £28,500 | One and two-bed flats, grouped because no one of these areas has five full-year homes |
| Salford (Greengate, Ordsall and the Quays) | 5 | 75% | £95 | £70 | £22,000 | One to three-bed homes |
| Old Trafford and Stretford | 5 | 69% | £95 | £65 | £21,500 | Mostly one-bed flats |
| South Manchester and Stockport | 5 | 80% | £125 | £100 | £31,000 | Chorlton, Didsbury, Gatley, Heald Green and Stockport; mostly three-bed homes |
| Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon | 6 | 81% | £175 | £140 | £37,000 | Mostly two-bed homes |
| Other Greater Manchester | 6 | 68% | £170 | £115 | £30,000 | Includes two large group houses |
| All Greater Manchester suburbs | 16 | 72% | £130 | £95 | £27,000 | Old Trafford, Stretford, south Manchester, Stockport and other Greater Manchester together |
City centre against everywhere else
Like for like, a two-bed outside the centre earned almost as much as one in it, because it was booked more often. Outside the centre includes Salford, the suburbs and Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon.
| Area and size | Homes | Occupancy | Average booked night | Per available night | Typical yearly revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City centre: studio or 1-bed | 9 | 75% | £95 | £75 | £26,000 |
| City centre: 2-bed | 8 | 71% | £140 | £100 | £36,000 |
| City centre: 3-bed or more | 10 | 74% | £295 | £220 | £75,000 |
| Elsewhere: studio or 1-bed | 8 | 71% | £80 | £55 | £20,000 |
| Elsewhere: 2-bed | 9 | 77% | £120 | £95 | £35,000 |
| Elsewhere: 3-bed or more | 10 | 75% | £190 | £145 | £39,500 |
Month by month
Autumn, not summer, is the peak
October and November ran at 81 to 82% occupancy, and October to December each earned £135 to £140 per available night. January was the weakest month for earnings: 69% booked at about £130 a night, or about £90 per available night. June and September were the least booked months, at 68%, but held higher rates than January.
| Month | Occupancy | Average booked night | Per available night |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | 81% | £170 | £140 |
| November 2025 | 82% | £165 | £140 |
| December 2025 | 78% | £170 | £135 |
| January 2026 | 69% | £130 | £90 |
| February 2026 | 75% | £140 | £105 |
| March 2026 | 75% | £140 | £105 |
| April 2026 | 73% | £170 | £125 |
| May 2026 | 69% | £175 | £120 |
| June 2026 | 68% | £165 | £110 |
| July 2026 | 76% | £165 | £125 |
| August 2026 | 74% | £170 | £125 |
| September 2026 | 68% | £145 | £100 |
Weekends and weekdays
Friday and Saturday carry the week
Friday and Saturday nights
88% booked
at around £205 a night
Sunday to Thursday nights
68% booked
at around £135 a night
In the city centre the swing across the year is bigger still. At our city-centre homes, Friday and Saturday nights from 14 November to 20 December 2025 averaged about £270 a booked night, while a January weeknight averaged about £120. A pre-Christmas weekend night earned more than twice a January weeknight, which is why we price every night separately rather than by the season.
How far ahead guests book
Guests book late, especially outside the centre
The typical booking was made 20 days before arrival, and almost 1 in 3 came within a week. About 1 in 9 was made on the day or the day before. City-centre guests plan furthest ahead; in the suburbs and around Altrincham, more than 4 in 10 bookings are made within a week of arrival, so a calendar that looks empty a fortnight out often isn't.
| Booked | Share of stays |
|---|---|
| Same day or the day before | 11% |
| 2 to 7 days ahead | 21% |
| 8 to 30 days ahead | 29% |
| 31 to 90 days ahead | 26% |
| More than 90 days ahead | 13% |
| Area | Homes | Typical days ahead | Booked within a week | Average stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester city centre | 49 | 27 | 26% | 2.6 nights |
| Salford | 6 | 12 | 38% | 5.1 nights |
| Greater Manchester suburbs | 32 | 13 | 42% | 4.2 nights |
| Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon | 15 | 10 | 44% | 4.7 nights |
| All homes | 104 | 20 | 32% | 3.3 nights |
Every stay that began in the period. The suburbs are our Greater Manchester homes outside the city centre, Salford and Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon. Our two homes elsewhere in Cheshire count in the total only.
How long guests stay
Short stays, long tails
Two nights is the most common stay, and the average is 3.3 nights. But the few long stays matter: bookings of 7 nights or more were 8% of stays and 36% of all guest nights. They earned about £120 a night against about £170 for shorter stays, and they need far fewer changeovers.
| Length of stay | Share of stays |
|---|---|
| 1 night | 28% |
| 2 nights | 31% |
| 3 nights | 18% |
| 4 to 6 nights | 15% |
| 7 to 27 nights | 7% |
| 28 nights or more | 1% |
| Length of stay | Share of guest nights |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 nights | 43% |
| 4 to 6 nights | 21% |
| 7 to 27 nights | 23% |
| 28 nights or more | 13% |
Where bookings come from
Airbnb first, Booking.com a strong second
Airbnb brought 67% of our stays and Booking.com 29%, at the same average rate. Direct bookings were only 3% of stays but 7% of nights, because guests who book direct stayed about a week on average.
| Channel | Share of stays | Share of nights | Average booked night | Average stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | 67% | 60% | £155 | 3.0 nights |
| Booking.com | 29% | 31% | £155 | 3.5 nights |
| Direct (our own site and direct bookings) | 3% | 7% | £130 | 7.1 nights |
| Other sites, such as Vrbo | 1% | 3% | £135 | 7.6 nights |
One stay in four started on a Friday. Check-in days: Friday 25%, Saturday 16%, Monday 15%, Sunday 11%, Tuesday 11%, Wednesday 11%, Thursday 11%.
If you own a home
What this means for your property
The honest takeaway from a year of our own bookings is that the postcode sets the range, and the way a home is run decides where it lands in it. Weekends sell themselves; the money is made on the weeknights, the late bookings and the long stays that a fixed rate card or a strict minimum stay quietly turns away.
Our area guides show typical nightly ranges for 18 neighbourhoods. Our pricing page sets out exactly what we charge: 15% of each booking + VAT, and a one-off £400 + VAT onboarding fee. Our guide to what Airbnb management costs in Manchester compares the wider market, and you can read how our Airbnb management in Manchester works day to day.
If you'd like a number for your own home, send us the postcode and bedrooms for a free valuation. We'll benchmark it against the homes behind these tables.
Methodology
How we worked these numbers out
Every figure on this page comes from our own booking records: every stay at a home we managed in Greater Manchester and Cheshire from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. That's 5,741 stays and 19,046 guest nights across 104 homes. Where one listing covers more than one apartment, we count each apartment as a home.
For occupancy and earnings we only use the 54 homes we looked after for the whole 12 months, so a home that joined or left part way through doesn't skew the picture. Occupancy is booked nights divided by the nights a home was open to guests. Nights an owner kept for themselves or for maintenance are left out, and they were only 2.5% of the year. Counted against every night of the year, the same homes were booked 72% of the time. We also cleared out placeholder calendar blocks that our systems create automatically, because counting them would have made occupancy look higher than it really was.
Nightly rates are the accommodation price recorded in our booking system, excluding cleaning fees, before our management fee. Per available night is a home's accommodation revenue divided by the nights it was open. Yearly revenue is a home's accommodation revenue across the 12 months. In the monthly table, a stay that crosses the end of a month is split between the two months.
Booking window, stay length, channel and check-in day use the 5,741 stays that began inside the period, at all 104 homes. Share of nights counts every guest night inside the period.
We only show a group when it has at least five homes, we round every figure (occupancy to the nearest 1%, nightly figures to the nearest £5 and yearly revenue to the nearest £500), and no individual home, owner or address can be identified. Our homes outside Greater Manchester and Cheshire aren't included. These are the homes we managed, not the whole Manchester market, so they won't match figures for every listing in the city.
We'll refresh this page every October with the same window and the same method, and keep each year's tables here so you can compare them.
Download the data
Every table, in one CSV
The aggregate tables on this page, ready for a spreadsheet. Released under CC BY 4.0: reuse them however you like, as long as you credit City Superhost.
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Quoting these figures?
Please credit us like this:
City Superhost (2026). Manchester short-let data 2026. https://www.citysuperhost.com/manchester-short-let-data
Journalists: we're happy to talk through the numbers. Get in touch.
FAQ
Manchester short-let questions, answered with data
What is the average Airbnb occupancy in Manchester?
74% at the homes we managed all year, and 40.5% across every Manchester listing. The 54 homes we looked after in Greater Manchester and Cheshire for the whole 12 months to September 2026 were booked 74% of the nights they were open to guests, with owner and maintenance nights left out, or 72% counted against every night of the year. For the same 12 months, AirROI puts the average across every active Airbnb listing in Manchester at 40.5% of open nights (checked October 2026). It averages every listing in the city, slow months included, so it measures a different set of homes and is not directly comparable with ours.
How much does an Airbnb in Manchester earn a year?
£31,500 a year for our typical home. That is what the median home we managed all year earned in accommodation revenue in the 12 months to September 2026, and the middle half of those homes earned between £25,000 and £46,500. It is accommodation revenue, excluding cleaning fees and before our management fee. Size matters most: our typical city-centre one-bed earned £26,000 and our typical city-centre two-bed £36,000.
What is the busiest month for Airbnb in Manchester?
82% occupancy in November made it our busiest month, with October close behind at 81%. Autumn, not summer, was our peak: October to December each earned £135 to £140 per available night. January was the weakest month for earnings, 69% booked at about £130 a night, which works out at about £90 per available night.
How far ahead do guests book a Manchester Airbnb?
20 days is the typical (median) gap between booking and arrival across our 5,741 stays, and almost 1 in 3 bookings came within a week of arrival. City-centre guests book furthest ahead, with a typical window of 27 days, against 13 days in the Greater Manchester suburbs and 10 days in Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon.
How long do Airbnb guests stay in Manchester?
2 nights is the median stay at our homes, and the average is 3.3 nights. Stays of 7 nights or more were only 8% of bookings but 36% of all guest nights, which is why our settings welcome longer stays rather than turning them away.
Free property valuation
What could your Manchester home earn?
Tell us the postcode and bedrooms. We'll benchmark it against the homes behind these tables and send you an honest, free valuation.
Matt or Steph reply to every enquiry personally, usually the same working day. Prefer to talk now? Call 07523 840 013 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm) or WhatsApp us.