"Bills included" on a Flexiestays stay means the price covers electricity, gas, water, fibre Wi-Fi, council tax, the TV licence, the gym and parking, in a furnished apartment with linen, towels and a full kitchen. On a tenancy the rent usually covers the home and nothing else: the tenant sets up and pays energy, water, broadband, council tax and a TV licence separately, and often furnishes it too. To compare them fairly, add up the whole monthly cost of each.
What a Flexiestays stay includes
Flexiestays lets 130 properties in Bournemouth for 28 nights or more. The price of a stay includes:
- electricity, gas and water
- fibre Wi-Fi and a smart TV
- council tax and the TV licence
- free private parking at every building
- the 24-hour gym and games room at The Shore House Hotel
- furniture, bed linen, towels, kitchen equipment, a washing machine and a dishwasher
There is a standard cleaning and security deposit, no fixed-term lock-in, and guest support 24 hours a day. Corporate bookings get VAT invoices and a named account manager. A stay is a serviced let, not a tenancy: it suits someone with a home elsewhere who is in Bournemouth for work, a move, a hospital stay in the family, or a repair to their own house.
What a tenant pays on a tenancy
A tenancy is a home of your own, and the bills follow you. On top of rent, a tenant normally:
- opens energy and water accounts and pays by usage
- orders broadband, often with a minimum contract and a wait for installation
- pays council tax to BCP Council by monthly instalments, with a 25% discount if living alone
- buys a TV licence if watching live TV or BBC iPlayer
- furnishes an unfurnished flat and buys kitchen equipment, bedding and towels
- pays for parking, or a residents' permit where the street is in a zone
At the start, the tenant pays a holding deposit of up to one week's rent, a deposit of up to five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and no more than one month's rent in advance. Since 1 May 2026 a tenancy is periodic, and the tenant can end it on two months' notice.
How to compare the two
Write both down as a monthly figure.
| Cost | Flexiestays stay | Tenancy |
|---|---|---|
| Rent or stay price | One price | Rent |
| Energy and water | Included | Separate, by usage |
| Broadband | Included | Separate, often on contract |
| Council tax | Included | Separate |
| TV licence | Included | Separate |
| Furniture and linen | Included | Often yours to buy |
| Parking | Included | Varies by street |
| Deposit | Cleaning and security deposit | Up to five weeks' rent |
| Commitment | The length you book | Periodic, two months' notice to leave |
We do not print a sample bill total here, because energy prices and council tax bands vary:. Your own figures will be more accurate. Take the council tax band for the address from the government's council tax checker and an energy estimate from a supplier, then add broadband and a TV licence.
Who each suits
A stay suits people who need somewhere ready on the day they arrive, for weeks or months: a contractor on a project, a nurse on rotation, someone relocating while they find a permanent home, or a family whose house is being repaired. It saves the set-up cost and time of a tenancy, and it ends when the booking ends.
A tenancy suits people settling in the area for a year or more, who want their own furniture and the security a periodic tenancy now gives. Over a long period the separate bills usually work out cheaper than an all-in price.
Our guide to a long stay against a tenancy goes into the legal difference. To see what is available, browse property to rent or read about long term lets. To book a stay directly, go to Flexiestays and book direct for the best rate.
