Letting agents in Swanage
Long lets for Swanage landlords, from tenant find to full management, in a Purbeck town where tenancies are scarce, with holiday let management through Sea Breeze for owners who let to visitors.
- 4.9/5 ★★★★★ 786 reviews
- 130 properties managed
- Since 2018 letting in Bournemouth
Flexie Estate Agents lets flats and houses in Swanage on long tenancies, and through Sea Breeze, our holiday let arm, manages homes here for visitors. We reach the town from our Bournemouth office across the Sandbanks chain ferry or round by Wareham. This page is the Swanage detail behind our letting agents service.
What lets in Swanage
- Flats in converted stone villas near the bay. Single tenants and couples who work in the town and want the beach, the shops on Station Road and Institute Road, and the bus on foot.
- Family houses above the bay. Families with children at The Swanage School and the primaries, who want a garden and parking.
- Bungalows and level homes. Retirees who know the town and want the seafront within a walk.
Long lets are scarce, so a well-kept home offered on a tenancy rarely waits long for interest. See our Swanage area page for the town.
Holiday let or tenancy
Swanage owners face a real choice. A holiday let draws families to the beach, walkers to the Jurassic Coast and divers to the pier, and can earn well from Easter to September. It has changeovers, cleaning and quiet weeks in winter, and at the time of writing a furnished home that is nobody's main residence pays Dorset Council's 100% council tax premium unless it is available for 140 nights and let for 70, when business rates apply instead. A tenancy gives a monthly rent, one household and a home that is someone's main residence. For a holiday let, holiday let management through Sea Breeze costs 16% commission with no retainer; our long let against holiday let comparison sets out the trade-offs.
How we let on a tenancy
We visit, read the lease and value the rent, starting from the instant rent estimate. We list on the portals and with our registered tenants, reference every adult for identity, Right to Rent, credit, income and a previous landlord, and show you the report. At move-in we serve the agreement, the How to Rent guide and certificates, protect the deposit within 30 days and complete a photographed inventory.
The checks in a Purbeck stone building
Every let needs gas and electrical safety certificates, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, an EPC of band E or better and Right to Rent checks. Stone villas have solid walls that hold back an EPC rating, and flats in split villas need the shared parts to be safe for escape in a fire. We flag what is needed at the valuation. Under the Renters' Rights Act, at the time of writing, tenancies are periodic and rent can rise once a year by notice.
Other services in Swanage
To compare letting with selling, see selling your property in Swanage or book a property valuation in Swanage. We let on the same terms in Poole, across the ferry.
The Swanage property market
Swanage is a Purbeck seaside town under Dorset Council, where Victorian stone villas, many split into flats, and family houses on the slopes above the bay make up most of the stock. Holiday lets and second homes are a large part of the market; long lets go to local workers, families and retirees, and there are fewer of them than demand.
Swanage has more homes let to visitors than most towns its size, so long lets are scarce and a flat or house offered on a tenancy draws people who have been looking for a while. They are teachers, carers, hospitality and retail staff, quarry and building workers, families with children at The Swanage School, retirees and people who work from home and want to live on the coast.
The stock that lets is Victorian and Edwardian Purbeck stone villas split into flats near the bay and the town centre, and family houses on the slopes above it towards Herston and Durlston.
Three points shape a let here.
Holiday let or tenancy. Summer demand from families, walkers and divers is strong. A tenancy gives a steady year-round rent with less management; a holiday let earns in season and empties in winter.
The council. Swanage is under Dorset Council. At the time of writing it charges a 100% council tax premium on furnished homes that are nobody's main residence.
Converted villas. Leases in split villas often control letting, and shared parts need fire safety attention.
Who rents and buys in Swanage
- Holiday lets and second homes. Families booking beach weeks, walkers on the Jurassic Coast and divers at the pier make Swanage a strong holiday market, and buyers from London and the Home Counties buy for weekends and retirement.
- Retirees. Level homes near the seafront and the shops sell to older buyers who know the town from holidays.
- Local workers and families. People working in the town's schools, care homes, shops and hospitality need long lets, and there are fewer available than they need.
- Remote workers and relocations. People who work from home move to Purbeck for the coast, often renting before they buy.
Let furnished, from 28 nights, all year round.
A furnished flat in Swanage does not have to sit on a twelve-month tenancy or empty from November. Through the group's platform, Flexiestays, it can be let to contractors, relocations, hospital staff and visiting families for a month or more at a time.
- Stays of a month to several months
- Guests looking for somewhere to live, not a holiday
- Fills the gaps between tenancies and summers
Letting your property in Swanage, step by step
A free valuation
We visit, read the lease and the certificates, and give you a rent range for the property in Swanage with the reasons, plus our fees in writing.
Marketing and referencing
Photographs, a floor plan and the listing go out to the portals and our registered tenants. We show the property and reference every adult before you accept anyone.
Move in, then managed
Tenancy agreement, deposit protection, certificates and a photographed inventory on the day. With management, we collect the rent, inspect and arrange repairs.
Three ways to let, one local team
Tenant find
One fee when the tenant moves in
- Rental valuation and advice
- Photos, floor plan and portal listings
- Viewings and referencing
- Right to Rent checks
- Tenancy agreement and deposit protection
Rent collection
A percentage of the monthly rent
- Everything in tenant find
- Monthly rent collection
- Arrears chased from day one
- Monthly statements
Fully managed
A percentage of the monthly rent
- Everything in rent collection
- Inspections and reports
- Repairs through local contractors
- Gas, electrical and EPC renewals
- The tenant's first call, day and night
Before you choose A free valuation a rent or sale range with the reasons, and our fees in writing - No obligation
- We reply within one working day
- No fees to tenants beyond what the law permits
Other ways to let
- Winter and long staysFurnished lets of 28 nights or more through the group's platform, Flexiestays.
- Holiday let managementThrough Sea Breeze Property Services: 16% commission for holiday let management, no retainer.
- Corporate letsFurnished homes for companies, insurers and relocations, invoiced monthly.
- SellingA sales valuation, marketing and progression to completion.
Fees are confirmed in writing before you instruct us. Tenants pay nothing beyond the permitted payments in the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
Our fees in fullLetting agents in Swanage: questions
Who rents long term in Swanage?
People who work in the town: teachers, carers, retail, hospitality and quarry staff, plus families with children at local schools, retirees and remote workers who moved for the coast. Because so many homes are holiday lets, long lets are scarce and good tenants are usually waiting for one.
Should my Swanage flat be a holiday let or a long let?
It depends on the flat, the lease, your mortgage, how much you want to use it and the council tax position. A holiday let can earn well in summer but sits empty in parts of winter. We compare both, and Sea Breeze manages holiday lets for 16% commission.
Do flats in converted villas need extra fire safety?
Often, yes. In a building split into flats the shared hall and stairs need fire doors, alarms and a clear escape route, and the freeholder usually needs a fire risk assessment. Check what the lease and building already provide before letting.
Which council covers Swanage lets?
Dorset Council. A house shared by five or more people from two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence. Some converted buildings may also fall under section 257 HMO rules. Check Dorset Council's housing pages for the address.
How do you reach Swanage from your office?
By the Sandbanks chain ferry, about fourteen and a half miles, or by road through Wareham, about 26 miles. We confirm before you instruct us which service level we can offer in Swanage and which local contractors cover repairs.
What letting services do you offer?
Tenant find, rent collection and fully managed. All include marketing, referencing, the tenancy agreement and deposit protection; fully managed adds inspections, repairs and certificate renewals. Fees are confirmed in writing before you instruct us.
Rated 4.9 on Google
Outstanding from start to finish
The apartment exceeded our expectations with its modern design and thoughtful touches throughout. Walking distance to both the seafront and shopping areas made it incredibly convenient. Clear instructions, responsive host. Would absolutely stay here again on our next visit to Bournemouth.
Modern, clean and superbly located
Lovely apartment in very close proximity to Bournemouth town centre and beach. Modern, very clean and well equipped. Onsite parking was a big plus, making it easy to explore the area. The host was very responsive and helpful throughout our stay.
Second stay, and we'll be back
Great apartment at a perfect location. Jack and the team were so easy to deal with. This is our second time at this apartment block and we'll definitely be returning. Clean, well-maintained, and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay.
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
Letting agents nearby
- Wareham
- Studland
- Corfe Castle
- Poole
- Sandbanks
- Bournemouth
- Christchurch
- Southbourne
- Boscombe
- Westbourne
- Winton
- Charminster
- Letting agents: every area
Other services here: Property valuation in Swanage, Selling your property in Swanage
Ready to let or sell with Flexiestays?
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.