The West Cliff is the clifftop between Bournemouth town centre and Westbourne: streets of Victorian villas, many now converted into flats, purpose-built blocks and hotels, with West Cliff Beach below and the Bournemouth International Centre at the bottom of the hill. For a tenant it means the sand and the town on foot. For a buyer it means a leasehold flat where the lease and the service charge matter as much as the view. For a landlord it means demand from people who want to live by the sea without a car. Five of the Flexiestays group's buildings are here.

The streets and the stock

The West Cliff runs west from the Square towards Durley Chine, with West Cliff Gardens and the roads around it lined with large Victorian and Edwardian houses. Most were split into flats long ago or became hotels. Between them are purpose-built blocks from the 1960s onwards and a growing number of conversions back from hotel use. Houses are rare; this is flat country.

Sea views add value and come with exposure to the weather. Garden flats are prized. Lifts are not universal in conversions, which matters for top floors.

For tenants

The draw is distance. From the cliff top the beach is a few minutes down the zig-zag paths, the town centre is about 15 minutes on foot, and Westbourne's cafés and shops are 5 to 10 minutes to the west. The walk back up from the beach is steep: check whether the cliff lift is running before you count on it.

The area is quieter than the town centre at night, except when the BIC has a full house. Corner shops are thinner on the ground than in Westbourne, so plan a weekly shop. Parking is by building: some have private spaces, others rely on permit zones. Check before you sign, because a permit is not guaranteed.

Tenants here are typically professionals, couples, people relocating and hospital and university staff who want the sea on the doorstep. See the West Cliff area page and property to rent on the West Cliff.

The Flexiestays buildings

The group lets furnished apartments for 28 nights or more in five West Cliff buildings:

  • The Tower House Hotel, West Cliff Gardens: studios to a sea-view penthouse, under two minutes from the beach.
  • The Cliff Heights Hotel, West Cliff Gardens: one-bedroom garden apartments and two-bedroom sea-view apartments with balconies.
  • The Cliff Manor Hotel: a restored Victorian building with garden and sea-view apartments, a short, mostly level walk from the centre.
  • The Shore Retreat Hotel and The Shore House Hotel: rooms and family rooms, with the free 24-hour gym and games room at The Shore House for every guest.

The Pebbles, The Coast and The Seabreeze are a few minutes away on St Michael's Road. All have free private parking, fast Wi-Fi and smart TVs, and bills, council tax and the gym are included in a stay.

For buyers

Almost everything for sale on the West Cliff is a leasehold flat. Before the view, read the lease: the years left, the ground rent, whether letting and pets are allowed, and what the service charge has paid for and plans to. A converted villa's roof and render cost a great deal to maintain, and major works are shared between the flats. Our guide to buying a leasehold flat lists the questions.

Buyers here include downsizers, second-home owners, buy-to-let investors and people moving from London for the sea. If you are selling, the same lease questions will come back to you, so gather the management pack early. See selling your property on the West Cliff.

For landlords

A well-kept one or two-bed flat with parking is the West Cliff's strongest let. Furnished suits the demand: people arriving for work, relocations and hospital staff. Check the lease allows letting, and whether it bars short stays if you are considering winter lets or holiday lets. The second homes premium of 100% applies in BCP to furnished flats nobody lives in. See letting agents on the West Cliff or ask for a property valuation. Rent figures for the area:.