On this page
A corporate let is a furnished home of 28 nights or more that a company, an insurer or an agency books and pays for, for someone else to live in. In Bournemouth the Flexiestays group lets 130 properties this way, with VAT invoicing, a named account manager, bills and council tax included and no fixed-term lock-in. The employer gets one supplier and one invoice; the new starter, contractor or displaced family gets a home that works on day one.
This guide is general information at the time of writing, 1 October 2026. It is not tax or legal advice.
Who books corporate lets in Bournemouth
- Employers relocating staff. A new starter needs somewhere for the first months while they learn the town and look for a tenancy or a purchase.
- Contractors and project firms. Construction, engineering, utilities and fit-out teams on jobs of three to twelve months.
- The NHS and healthcare agencies. University Hospitals Dorset is reorganising its two main sites, with the Royal Bournemouth Hospital becoming the major emergency hospital and Poole the planned care site. Locums, agency nurses and staff on rotation need furnished homes near both.
- Universities. Visiting academics and researchers at Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth.
- Insurers and their accommodation agents. Households whose home is being repaired after a flood, fire or escape of water.
- Corporate teams on secondment, training or a project at a local employer.
What the employer gets
VAT invoicing. Corporate bookings receive VAT invoices. How the stay is treated for VAT recovery, and whether it is a taxable benefit for the employee, depends on the circumstances, so your finance team or accountant should confirm.
A named account manager. One person who knows the booking: arrival dates, extensions, changes of guest, extra apartments, early departures. Enquiries are answered from 9am to 5pm every day, and guests have support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Several apartments at once. The group's eight buildings are close together: The Tower House, Cliff Heights and Cliff Manor hotels on West Cliff Gardens, The Shore Retreat and The Shore House on the West Cliff, and The Pebbles, The Coast and The Seabreeze on St Michael's Road. A team can be housed together, each with free private parking.
Flexibility. Stays start at 28 nights with no fixed-term lock-in. Projects overrun and repairs slip; a long stay can usually be extended while the apartment is free.
No set-up. No furniture to hire, no utilities to connect, no council tax account to open, no broadband to wait for.
What the employee gets
A furnished apartment with bed linen, towels, a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine, a dishwasher in most, a smart TV and fast Wi-Fi. Electricity, gas, water, council tax, the TV licence and parking are paid. Every guest can use the 24-hour gym and the games room at The Shore House Hotel. Check-in is from 15:00, and arrival instructions are sent before the stay.
The location helps a newcomer. The West Cliff and St Michael's Road buildings are a walk from the beach, the town centre and the buses, with Bournemouth station a short ride away for trains to London Waterloo in under two hours. Our moving to Bournemouth guide is a useful thing to send a new starter.
How an employer books
- Send the brief. Number of people, dates (or a start date and a likely length), apartment sizes, cars, and any access needs. Assistance dogs only; pets are not accepted.
- Receive a quote and allocation. The account manager proposes apartments and a price for the stay.
- Confirm the booking. The company is the booker and the payer; the guest's name and contact details are added for arrival.
- Arrival. The guest receives arrival instructions, the parking bay and the gym details.
- During the stay. Extensions, changes and invoices go through the account manager. Repairs go to guest support.
Insurers and displaced households
When a home is damaged, the household needs somewhere close to their own street, their schools and their work, often for longer than first estimated. A furnished apartment with bills included suits an insurer's alternative accommodation budget because the monthly cost is known and nothing has to be set up. Larger family apartments at The Tower House and family rooms in the St Michael's Road buildings cover different household sizes. Tell us the claim reference and the expected repair time and we will plan around it.
Choosing between a corporate let, a hotel and a tenancy
Employers usually weigh three options for someone who needs to be in Bournemouth for weeks or months.
| Hotel | Corporate let (28 nights or more) | Tenancy in the employee's name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space | A room | A furnished apartment with a kitchen | An unfurnished or part furnished home |
| Bills and council tax | Included | Included | The employee sets them up |
| Set-up time | None | None | Referencing, signing and connecting utilities |
| Length | Night by night | 28 nights minimum, no lock-in | Open-ended, two months' notice to leave |
| Invoicing | Per stay | VAT invoices through one account manager | The employee pays the landlord |
| Suits | A few nights | One to twelve months | A permanent move |
For a few nights, a hotel is simplest. For a permanent move, the employee will want a home of their own. In between, a corporate let costs less to run than a hotel room night after night, gives the person a kitchen and space to live, and avoids asking a new starter to sign a tenancy in a town they do not yet know.
Planning a relocation
A few steps make a move smoother for the person and for the business:
- Book before the start date. A week or two of notice gives the widest choice of apartments and buildings.
- Allow for overlap. New starters often need a month or two longer than planned while they find a permanent home. Ask for the stay to be extendable.
- Think about the car. Each building has free private parking; tell us if the employee needs a space.
- Send the local guide. Arrival instructions cover the building; our guides to the areas help with the rest.
The legal line for employers
A corporate stay is a serviced let, not a tenancy. It suits someone whose main home is elsewhere or who is between homes, for a period tied to a job or a repair. The Housing Act 1988 only gives assured tenancy status to someone living in a property as their only or main home, and excludes holiday lettings.
If an employee decides to stay in Bournemouth for good and wants the apartment to become their home, the arrangement should change. They can move to a tenancy elsewhere with our letting agents, and we can help them search while their stay continues. Our guide to long stay or tenancy? explains the difference.
See our corporate lets page for the service, or contact us with a brief.
