Holiday let management on the West Cliff

The West Cliff is the clifftop west of Bournemouth Pier: Victorian houses divided into flats, purpose-built apartment blocks and hotels, some now redeveloped as flats, above Durley Chine and the beach. At its eastern edge stands the Bournemouth International Centre. For an owner that means a holiday flat with two sources of guests, the beach and the BIC. Sea Breeze Property Services provides holiday let management here from our office on Charminster Road.

What lets well on the West Cliff

The district lies mostly in BH2, running into BH4 towards Westbourne. Most holiday lets are flats:

• Purpose-built blocks with lifts and, on the upper floors, views across Poole Bay. These earn the most.
• Flats in converted Victorian villas, with character and larger rooms, often without lifts or parking.
• New flats on former hotel sites. The West Cliff Hotel, refurbished in 2019, was announced for demolition and replacement by flats in 2023, part of a wider change in the district's stock.

Guests pay for a short walk to the beach, the pier, the town centre and the BIC, and for a parking space. Durley Chine, below the cliff, has a pub, a cafe, beach huts and RNLI lifeguards in the summer season. The West Cliff Lift normally carries people between the clifftop by the BIC and the promenade, but it did not run in summer 2025 after cliff slips, so access is described as it stands, with the zig-zag paths as the way down.

How the West Cliff year runs

Summer is the beach season: school holidays, bank holidays and sunny weekends, with families taking full weeks.

The rest of the year follows the BIC. Conferences, exhibitions and party political conferences bring delegates midweek, and concerts and comedy fill weekend nights through the autumn and winter. Bournemouth University holds its graduation ceremonies at the BIC in November, and the Christmas market draws weekend visitors into town from mid-November. Arts by the Sea and the marathon weekend fall in late September and October.

Mid-January to February is the quiet stretch, and we fill it with short breaks and mid-term stays for contractors and relocating staff.

Who books a West Cliff holiday flat

Families who want to walk to the beach; couples on short breaks; event guests who want to walk to the BIC and back; and older visitors who come out of season for the gardens, the pier and the town. Owners who use the flat themselves usually keep spring or autumn weeks and let the peaks.

Rules and costs for an owner

Read the lease first: many West Cliff blocks restrict short lets or require consent. Tell your lender and the buildings insurer. Some central streets are residents' permit zones, so check the parking position before you advertise a space.

BCP Council charges a 100% premium on furnished second homes. A flat available to let for 140 nights and actually let for 70 in a year is assessed for business rates instead. The furnished holiday lettings tax regime was abolished from April 2025; see our guide to holiday let tax after FHL. You need a fire risk assessment, a gas safety certificate where there is gas, electrical checks and insurance for paying guests.

How we run your West Cliff flat

We list the flat on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Flexiestays and 20+ channels and review the price every day, raising it for BIC events and school holidays and filling gaps in quiet weeks. We answer every message, support guests 24 hours a day, manage check-ins, take inventory and inspect the flat regularly.

Cleaning, linen and repairs are not part of our fee. We recommend trusted local companies, you pay them directly, and we coordinate them if you want, or you keep your own.

You block your dates in the owner portal and receive a monthly payout. Commission is 16% of booking revenue, with no retainer and no monthly fee; see our pricing and how it works.

For the whole town, see holiday let management in Bournemouth. We also manage in Westbourne, Alum Chine and on the East Cliff.