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A long stay is a furnished, serviced let of 28 nights or more, with the bills included and no fixed term, for someone whose main home is elsewhere or who is between homes. A tenancy is the legal arrangement for your home: since 1 May 2026 it rolls month to month with strong security, but you furnish it, run the bills and go through referencing to get it. If you need somewhere for weeks or months, a long stay is usually simpler. If you are settling for years, a tenancy is the right tool.
This guide is general information at the time of writing, 1 October 2026. It is not legal advice.
What each one is
A long stay is how the Flexiestays group lets 130 properties in Bournemouth. You book 28 nights or more, online or by enquiry. The apartment comes furnished down to bed linen, towels, the kitchen kit, a washing machine and a smart TV. Electricity, gas, water, fibre Wi-Fi, council tax, the TV licence, parking and use of the gym are included. You pay a standard cleaning and security deposit, and there is no fixed-term lock-in. It is a serviced let, not an assured shorthold tenancy.
A tenancy is an agreement with a landlord to rent a home as your only or main residence. Under the Renters' Rights Act, every assured tenancy in England became periodic on 1 May 2026: no end date, two months' notice from you to leave, and the landlord needs a legal ground to end it. Most homes to rent in the area are let unfurnished or part furnished, and the tenant pays the bills.
Side by side
| Long stay (from 28 nights) | Assured periodic tenancy | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | People working, studying, relocating or between homes | People making the property their home |
| Furniture | Fully furnished and equipped | Usually unfurnished or part furnished |
| Bills | Energy, water, Wi-Fi, council tax, TV licence included | Tenant sets up and pays them |
| Upfront money | Booking payment and a standard cleaning and security deposit | Up to one week's holding deposit, up to five weeks' deposit, up to one month's rent in advance |
| Checks | Booking and identity checks | Referencing, right to rent, often a guarantor |
| Start date | As soon as an apartment is free | After referencing and signing, typically weeks |
| Length | 28 nights minimum, no lock-in | Open-ended |
| Leaving | Under the booking terms | Two months' written notice |
| Security of stay | For the nights booked | Strong: the landlord needs a legal ground |
| Rent changes | The price booked | Once a year at most, with two months' notice |
Bills and the real monthly cost
Comparing the price of a long stay with an advertised rent is misleading, because they buy different things. Put both on the same footing:
- The tenancy: monthly rent, plus energy, water, broadband, council tax (Band and discount depend on the home and on you), the TV licence, contents insurance, furniture and kitchen kit you must buy or move, and parking or a permit.
- The long stay: the monthly price, which already contains those items, plus the cleaning and security deposit.
Then add the set-up costs a tenancy brings: a van, a fortnight overlapping two homes, connecting broadband. Over one to six months the long stay often closes most of the gap; over two years the tenancy usually wins. We do not publish a sample figure here because rents vary by street and season. Ask us for a rent estimate for a tenancy and check the current long-stay price for your dates, then compare the totals.
Deposits and money up front
A tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000 and must be protected in a government scheme within 30 days. A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent. Since 1 May 2026, rent in advance is limited to one month and only once the agreement is signed.
A long stay carries a standard cleaning and security deposit set out in the booking terms, and the booking is paid as the terms state.
Notice and flexibility
A tenancy ties you to two months' notice. That is fine when you know you are staying, and costly when a project ends early or a house purchase completes in three weeks. A long stay has no fixed-term lock-in: you book the nights you need, and can usually extend while the apartment is free.
The flexibility runs the other way too. A tenant has security a guest does not: the landlord cannot end a tenancy without a legal ground and the court's order, while a long stay ends on the date booked.
Who suits which
A long stay suits:
- Contractors and project workers on assignments of a few months
- People relocating who want to see the areas before signing a tenancy
- NHS and agency staff on placements
- Remote workers spending a season by the sea
- Households placed by an insurer while their own home is repaired
- Families visiting someone in hospital or at university
A tenancy suits:
- Anyone settling in Bournemouth for a year or more
- Families who want their own furniture and a school catchment
- Anyone who wants the legal security of an assured tenancy
Many people use both in turn: a month or two in a furnished apartment, then a tenancy once they know which street they want. Our guide to how to rent a home in Bournemouth covers the second half.
The legal line
The difference is not just a label. The Housing Act 1988, Schedule 1, lists lettings that cannot be assured tenancies, including holiday lets, and an assured tenancy only arises where the occupier lives in the property as their only or main home. A serviced let to someone whose main home is elsewhere, or who is staying while they find one, sits outside the tenancy rules.
The law looks at the facts, not the booking name. A guest who gives up their previous home and makes an apartment their only home for many months may be a tenant whatever the paperwork says. That is why we ask about the purpose of a stay and use the right agreement for it: a serviced stay where that fits, and a tenancy where the person is making the property their home. If you are unsure which applies to you, take advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice.
To see what is available now, look at our long term lets and serviced apartments, or book a stay at Flexiestays. Employers moving staff should read corporate lets and relocation.
