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Holiday Cottage Letting: Should I use an agency or DIY it?

Name: Keepers Cottages
Address: The Captain’s Garden Stables, Deal, CT14 7BA
Telephone: 01304 382044
Price range: $$

13 August 2026

Holly Price

If you’ve recently bought a holiday cottage, or you’ve decided to rent one out – congratulations! Owning a holiday cottage can be one of the most rewarding investments you make, both financially and personally. But before you welcome your first guests, there’s one important decision to make: should you manage the property yourself, or partner with a holiday letting agency? That is perhaps the most important question when starting your letting journey, which is why we’re taking a look at ‘DIY’ holiday let management using a platform, versus going with a localised letting agency.

The Pros and Cons of the DIY Holiday Lettings Approach

If you’re more of a hands-on individual and you’re based in the local area of your holiday property, it could make more sense for you to manage the property yourself. Weigh up the pros and cons below.

Pros of DIY Management

Lower costs. You’ll avoid things like agency fees and commission, giving you more rental income.
You’ll retain all control of the property, giving you the freedom to set guest criteria, block out dates for personal use, set pricing rates and oversee guest interactions.

Cons of DIY Management

Time commitment. Unless you’re already an established lettings expert, you’ll need to factor in hours of set-up time and getting to grips with the basics. Managing a successful holiday home quickly becomes a part time job. Every enquiry needs responding to promptly, calendards must be kept up to date, cancellations dealt with as well as questions before, during and after the stay responding to. You will also need to handle all damage claims, which can be time consuming.
No photography. Most agencies have their own in-house photographer who will capture your property at its best to attract bookings. With the DIY approach, you’ll need to do this yourself.

Building an audience. With an agency, you can take advantage of their existing platform, whereas you’ll need to build your own with a website or social media if you choose to self-manage.

The inconvenience. If you don’t live in the local area and don’t have a contact nearby, it’s worth weighing up how inconvenient it will be to visit the property if the guests need you – this could be for anything from changing a lightbulb to monitoring a hot tub.

The legalities. The laws around health & safety, maximum stays and insurance might be too much to think about on your own. Having the expertise of an agency takes this stress away.

You are still paying a platform. If you DIY manage your property, you’ll still pay fees and won’t have the local expertise or help that an agency can provide. Platforms such as Airbnb and Booking com charge service fees, and you are still responsible for every aspect of managing the property.
Guest Quality. Platforms that focus heavily on short breaks can naturally attract more short break stays. Shorter stays often mean higher turnover, more cleaning, more wear and tear and less repeat business. At Keepers, we focus heavily on attracting longer family holidays and returning guests, which generally results in guests who are more invested in looking after the property.
Algorithm risk. If most of your bookings come through one platform, you’re entirely reliant on that platform continuing to perform. Changes to search algorithms, increased competition in the local area or seasonal fluctuations can all have a significant impact on occupancy. By marketing across multiple channels, you reduce that reliance.

Managing your own holiday let: In Summary

While the cons seemingly outweigh the pros by quite a number, this won’t be the case for everyone. Ultimately, it depends on how much weight each pro or con carries for you specifically. For example, it might mean more to you to save on fees, and you may already have some experience with setting up a website and managing bookings – in which case you’ll most likely be fine to DIY it. On the other hand, if you live two hours away and have zero experience with holiday lettings, choosing an optimised, local agency could be the better option.

Holiday Cottage Letting: DIY vs Agency FAQs

In our experience, local trumps national due to the unrivalled expertise. Think a fully-loaded ‘black book’ of suppliers and contacts, a thorough knowledge of the local area and physical proximity to the property itself if any visits are needed. As a local, family-run agency in Kent, our team is all based in the county – mostly within a short distance of our HQ in Deal. You can meet them here!

In our experience, it’s best to find out exactly how an agency supports its owners directly from the horse’s mouth. You can do that by looking through online reviews and joining owner forums where you’ll be able to see unfiltered and unbiased reviews. Alternatively, you could look through the let with us pages of agency websites to see what exactly each agency offers. If a smaller, localised agency has hundreds of properties in that area, that means hundreds of happy owners. Other green flags to look out for include:

Regular comms (e.g. happy to jump on the phone for a chat – and easily accessible to owners)
Transparent reporting that allows them to give owners honest advice
A user-friendly owner portal that allows you to log in from your end
Marketing guidance and pricing recommendations
Marketing content that spotlights different properties within the portfolio – like this piece!
A clear list of reasons that set them apart – perhaps something like this.

The most important thing, of course, is that your chosen agency helps you drive bookings. At Keepers Cottages, we use a blend of the below to fill your property all year-round:

Use our marketing channels: A mixture of organic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) efforts and paid adverts to climb the rankings and boost visibility.
Maintain our great reach locally and nationally through the use of PR and socials – our properties have made it to the press countless times!
Follow branding guidelines and provide an experience that ensures your property will be booked by respectful guests who will want to return time and time again; just take a look at our reviews.
Implement a dynamic pricing structure which allows us to capture the biggest slice of the market without being too low or too high.

The Pros and Cons of Using a Holiday Lettings Agency

Entrusting your property to an agency may seem like a daunting prospect, but if you find the right fit for you, it will ensure a long-lasting partnership. If you’re wondering whether to pick an agency rather than go it alone, be sure to consider the pros and cons below.

Pros of Agency Management

No stress. The stress of running the property, interacting with guests and attending to any requests, repairs or demands is all taken care of. This takes a lot off your plate and allows you to enjoy the perks without so much pressure.
Local knowledge, contacts & expertise. If you choose an agency that lives and breathes the area where your property is located, they will likely bring an invaluable contact list of suppliers, tradespeople and cleaners who are tried, tested and trusted. This also actively supports smaller communities and gives back to the locals of holiday villages who rely on tourism for income.
A complete marketing strategy. Successful holiday letting is no longer just about putting your property online and waiting for bookings. At Keepers we invest heavily in Google Ads, Meta advertising, SEO, email marketing, PR campaigns, social media, partnerships and repeat guest marketing. This means your property is promoted across multiple channels rather than relying on a single platform’s algorithm.

Financial support and administration. Running your own holiday let can be tricky in terms of cash flow, with late payments and cancellations creating financial pinch points. With an agency, you can avoid this – as they do the chasing for you.

Professional revenue management.Pricing isn’t something you set once a year. Demand changes daily depending on seasonality, events, school holidays, competitor availability and booking pace. Professional revenue management can make a significant difference to annual income, ensuring prices increase when demand is strong while remaining competitive when bookings slow.
Tiered packages. Many agencies offer a choice of management packages, which can allow you to retain a certain amount of control, letting them step in to oversee certain elements. Shop around to see what works for you!
Longer average stays. One of the biggest differences we see with owners who rely primarily on Airbnb is average booking length. Through our marketing strategy and loyal guest database, we typically attract longer family breaks rather than short stays. Longer stays typically mean fewer changeovers, lower costs, less wear and tear on the property and of course, a better overall guest experience.

Cons of Agency Management

Agency Fees. Agency management comes with fees, making it important that you shop around and consider which agency will give you the most for your money.
Choosing the right agency. If you opt for one of the larger agencies that manage thousands of properties up and down the UK, you may not get as much of a personal experience as you would if you opted to focus on a local and independently run holiday lettings business. It’s worth considering how much personal service and local knowledge matter to you before deciding.
Management contracts. Any reputable agency will have a management agreement in place. Take time to understand what’s included, how commission works and the notice periods before signing.

Using a holiday lettings agency: In Summary

Once again, the best option comes down entirely to you, your preferences and the practicality of your location. Using a well-established, local and trusted agency will take the stress off your hands, give back to the local community and ensure that your property is marketed in the best way that is truly relevant to the area in which it sits. A more national agency can give your property further reach, but the appeal may be diluted if it sits within a portfolio of thousands. At Keepers Cottages, we take great pride in our family-run, local status, and we provide the necessities such as professional photography, dynamic pricing and guest vetting coupled with 7-day support and enough marketing prowess that the majority of bookings come directly through our website, not via paid adverts.

Our view after managing holiday homes for 15+ years

At Keepers Cottages we’ve seen owners successfully self-manage a holiday home, and for some it genuinely works well. If you live nearby, enjoy customer service and have the time to dedicate to your property, it can be a rewarding experience.

However, what we’ve found time and again is that many owners underestimate just how much time goes into running a successful holiday let. The booking itself is often the easiest part. Behind every reservation are guest questions, pricing decisions, maintenance, compliance, cleaning coordination, dedicated marketing, reviews and countless small tasks that all contribute to delivering a five-star experience.

For us, using an agency isn’t about giving away control. It’s about having an experienced team working alongside you to protect your property, maximise your income and take care of the day-to-day management or marketing, while you continue to enjoy ownership.

Ultimately, the choice is yours…

Choosing whether to DIY it or use a lettings agency to manage your holiday property is a significant decision, and the right choice comes down to your personal preferences. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way about it, just what suits you. If you think Keepers Cottages might be a good fit for your property, please do feel free to call us for a chat on 01304 382044, or visit the Let With Us page for more information.

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About Holly Price

Holly is a Freelance Copywriter who joined the Keeper's Cottage marketing team in 2025. Passionate about good food, good wine, good books and good beaches, she's keen to highlight the very best spots to explore and enjoy throughout Kent.

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Holiday Cottage Letting: Should I use an agency or DIY it?