Long term lets in Southbourne
Furnished Southbourne houses and Overcliff flats let for 28 nights or more through the Flexiestays platform, to families between homes, hospital staff and remote workers, with bills included.
- 4.9/5 ★★★★★ 786 reviews
- 130 properties managed
- Since 2018 letting in Bournemouth
A long term let in Southbourne, as Flexiestays runs it, is a furnished stay of 28 nights or more with the bills included and no fixed term for the guest. The group's apartments are in central Bournemouth and on the West Cliff; in Southbourne we let landlords' furnished houses and flats this way through the Flexiestays platform. The service is set out on our long term lets page.
Why Southbourne suits a long stay
Daily life works here. Southbourne Grove has bakers, a butcher, delis, pharmacies and cafes, so a guest can shop on foot. Pokesdown station at the western end reaches Bournemouth in about four minutes, buses run to the town centre and Christchurch, and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital is a short drive north. The beach, the clifftop and Hengistbury Head are a walk away in every season, and the stretch east of Fisherman's Walk stays open to dogs all year.
That combination brings guests who need a proper home for a set period rather than a holiday.
Who stays
- Families between homes, often local sellers waiting for a purchase or a build to finish, who want to stay near schools and friends.
- Households in an insurance claim, placed by an insurer or claims agent while their own house is repaired after a leak, fire or flood.
- Hospital staff on contracts at the Royal Bournemouth, who want parking and a quiet street.
- Relocations, trying Southbourne before they buy.
- Remote workers spending a winter by the sea.
What your home needs
A second bedroom or a study with a door, broadband for two people on calls, a full kitchen and a table that seats everyone, a washing machine and somewhere to dry clothes, heating that copes with a January on the coast, a driveway or a clear parking answer, and for guests with dogs, an enclosed garden.
How it works through the Flexiestays platform
We photograph and list the home on the Flexiestays platform, Bournemouth's number one for winter and long stays, agree the monthly price with you, check each guest and the purpose of the stay, take a standard cleaning and security deposit, and check the guest in and out against an inventory, inspecting in between. What a stay looks like to the guest is shown on property to rent in Bournemouth, where the group's apartments are listed, and our guide to a long stay against a tenancy explains the difference.
The rules to check
At the time of writing, BCP Council charges a 100% council tax premium on furnished second homes, and stays of more than 28 nights do not count towards the 70 let nights that qualify a property for business rates. Overcliff flats are leasehold, so the lease must allow this kind of letting. A guest who makes the home their only residence may become a tenant, so every booking is checked.
For a tenancy, see letting agents in Southbourne and property management in Southbourne. A holiday home that wants winter income is covered by winter lets in Southbourne. Owners weighing a sale can start with property valuation in Southbourne or selling your property in Southbourne. The town-wide page is long term lets in Bournemouth, and the Southbourne area page describes the neighbourhood.
Furnished homes near Southbourne
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Coast Hotel, Bournemouth
St Michael's Road, Bournemouth Minimum stay 28 nights · Furnished
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Pebbles Hotel, Bournemouth
St Michael's Road, Bournemouth Minimum stay 28 nights · Furnished
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Tower House Hotel, West Cliff
West Cliff Gardens, West Cliff Minimum stay 28 nights · FurnishedThe Southbourne property market
Southbourne is Bournemouth's family suburb by the sea: Edwardian and interwar houses either side of an independent high street, with flats along the Overcliff and a long beach below. Tenants stay for years, houses with gardens and parking are scarce, and buyers come for the schools, the Grove and a beach that dogs can use all year.
The Flexiestays group's apartments are in central Bournemouth and on the West Cliff (BH2). In Southbourne we let landlords' furnished homes the same way: stays of 28 nights or more, one price with the bills included, booked through the Flexiestays platform.
Southbourne's long-stay guests are close to its tenants in what they want, a quiet street, the Grove's shops on foot, the beach and a garden, but they need it for a defined period. Households between a sale and a purchase want to stay near the children's school. Families whose home is being rebuilt or repaired after an insurance claim want to stay nearby. Clinical staff on contracts at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, a short drive north, want a furnished home with parking. Remote workers want a winter by the sea with Hengistbury Head for the morning walk.
Family houses with a garden and a driveway, and Overcliff flats with a second room to work in, suit them best. A long stay is a serviced let only where the guest keeps a main home elsewhere, and we check that for every booking.
Who rents and buys in Southbourne
- Families who want space and schools. Three-bedroom houses with gardens and parking near the Grove let to families who stay for years and sell to families moving up or relocating to the coast. Tenants here rarely want a short let; they want a home near a school.
- Dog owners. The beach east of Fisherman's Walk is open to dogs when BCP Council's main beaches exclude them from 1 May to 30 September. Tenants and buyers with dogs look at Southbourne first, and an enclosed garden makes a house stand out.
- Downsizers and second-home buyers. Overcliff flats with a lift and a view across Poole Bay to the Isle of Wight sell to retirees and to buyers from London and the Home Counties, who want the quiet end of the bay rather than the town centre.
- Hospital staff and people between homes. The Royal Bournemouth Hospital is a short drive north, so clinical staff on longer contracts rent here, and local households between a sale and a purchase, or rebuilding a house nearby, take furnished homes for a few months.
Move in for a month or more. Every bill included.
We let and manage 130 furnished apartments under management in bournemouth for stays of 28 nights or more: electricity, gas, water, fibre Wi-Fi, council tax, TV licence, gym and parking in the rent, a standard cleaning and security deposit, and no twelve-month contract.
- Furnished, with linen, towels and a full kitchen
- No fixed term: extend month by month
- Minutes from the beach and the town centre
Moving into one of our furnished homes in Southbourne
Choose an apartment
Studios to three bedrooms in eight buildings by the beach. Each listing shows what is included and the building's facts.
Book or ask for a viewing
Book online at flexiestays.com with live availability, or send an enquiry and we confirm which apartment is free for your dates.
Move in for 28 nights or more
Pay the rent and a standard cleaning and security deposit. Bills, Wi-Fi, council tax, parking and the gym are included; extend month by month.
Long term lets in Southbourne: questions
Does Flexiestays have apartments in Southbourne?
No. The group's 130 apartments are in central Bournemouth and on the West Cliff, listed at property to rent in Bournemouth. In Southbourne we let landlords' furnished houses and flats for stays of 28 nights or more through the same platform, with the bills included.
Who books a furnished Southbourne house for a few months?
Local families between a sale and a purchase, households whose home is being repaired after an insurance claim, clinical staff on contracts at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, people relocating to the coast, and remote workers. Many have children at local schools or a dog, which is why they choose Southbourne.
Can a long-stay guest bring a dog to my Southbourne house?
If you agree. Long-stay guests with dogs choose Southbourne deliberately, because the beach east of Fisherman's Walk is open to dogs all year. We agree the pet terms before arrival, record floors and furnishings in the inventory, and inspect during the stay.
Is a long stay in my Southbourne house a tenancy?
Not when the guest keeps a main home elsewhere, for example during a work contract or an insurance repair, and the stay is for that purpose. A guest who makes the house their only home may become a tenant whatever the booking says. We check the purpose and use the right agreement; this is not legal advice.
What is included in a Southbourne long stay?
Electricity, gas, water, broadband and council tax are in one price, with bed linen, towels, a full kitchen, a washing machine and somewhere to work. Heating a family house in January is a real cost, so we build it into the monthly figure.
How does a long stay affect council tax on my Southbourne house?
At the time of writing, BCP Council charges a 100% premium on furnished second homes. A property available for 140 nights and let for 70 in the year can move to business rates, but stays of more than 28 nights do not count towards the 70. Ask us how your year would be treated.
Rated 4.9 on Google
I've had a really positive experience
I've had a really positive experience with the Airbnb building services, and I'd especially like to recognise Nat, Jack, and Reece for how helpful, friendly, and professional they are. They're always approachable, responsive, and willing to go the extra mile to help resolve any issues or answer questions. Their attitude makes a real difference and creates a welcoming experience for residents and guests. A special mention has to go to Natalie, who has been exceptionally helpful. She is consistently kind, attentive, and proactive, and always makes sure things are dealt with properly. Her dedication and willingness to help really stand out and are very much appreciated. Thank you to the whole team for all your hard work, it definitely doesn't go unnoticed!
Great accommodation and location
Ease of booking. Great communication with the team. Moved to the area and stayed while purchasing property. Very flexible regarding duration of stay. 2 months. We stayed in 2 different apartments. Both lovely. Quiet. No hassle. Also location awesome. A few minutes walk to the beach and town. Thanks again everyone at Flexistays Bournemouth. Highly recommend
Lovely and cosy apartment in the centre
Lovely and cosy apartment in the centre of Bournemouth, and managing to still be quiet. Close to the train station (and buses), big Asda superstore, town centre, park and the beach. I have stayed so far in 2 different apartments in the same building on 2 separate occasions. Both, lovely decorated, with everything one may need for a short or longer stay. A kind of apartment you just want to stay in the whole day! I would definitely recommend.
Residents and guests of the furnished apartments we let and manage, in their own words, quoted as published. Each rating is the platform's own, read on the date shown. See every review
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- Long term lets: every area
Other services here: Letting agents in Southbourne, Property management in Southbourne, Property valuation in Southbourne, Selling your property in Southbourne, Winter lets in Southbourne
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Tell us about the property and we come back with a rent or price range, what it needs before it goes on the market and our fees in writing.