Knowing how you will exit is as important as how you enter. Explore the key exit routes for holiday let investors, from outright sale to gifting and portfolio transfer.
Every investment eventually ends. Whether you are planning to sell in five years, pass properties to your children, or wind down after decades of hosting, thinking through your exit strategy early — ideally before you invest — gives you the best chance of maximising your return and minimising your tax liability.
For holiday let investors, the exit landscape changed materially in April 2025 with the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Let (FHL) regime, which removed several favourable capital gains tax reliefs that had previously made the holiday let exit particularly tax-efficient. This guide explains the options available to you now.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional financial, legal, or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific circumstances.
Many investors give little thought to exit when they purchase. This is understandable — the immediate focus is acquisition, setup, and launching the letting operation. But exit strategy shapes several upstream decisions:
Building at least a provisional exit strategy into your original investment plan is a mark of disciplined investing.
The most straightforward exit is simply selling the property on the open market. For a well-maintained holiday let in an attractive location, the buyer pool may include:
For properties held personally, the gain (sale price minus original cost, adjusted for allowable acquisition costs and capital improvements) is subject to Capital Gains Tax.
CGT rates for residential property in 2025/26:
With the abolition of the FHL regime in April 2025, holiday lets no longer qualify for Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief), which previously allowed gains up to £1 million to be taxed at just 10%. This is a significant change.
Allowable deductions:
The following reduce your chargeable gain:
The Annual Exempt Amount (£3,000 in 2025/26) can be applied to reduce the gain before tax.
Timings worth considering:
If your holiday let has an established booking history, strong reviews, and a reliable repeat guest base, you may be able to market it as a going concern — selling the business (the operating holiday let, including its bookings, brand, and systems) rather than just the property.
This can command a premium over straight property value because the buyer is acquiring an income-producing business with:
Going concern sales are more complex legally — you need to transfer bookings (with guest consent), listing accounts, and any operating contracts. Work with a solicitor who has experience in business sales as well as property conveyancing.
For CGT purposes, the gain is still calculated on the property value (the goodwill element is usually modest for individual holiday lets), but the higher sale price will increase the total proceeds.
Some owners plan to pass holiday let properties to children or other family members, either during their lifetime (an inter vivos gift) or through their estate on death.
Gifting a property to a family member during your lifetime is treated as a disposal at market value for CGT purposes, even if no money changes hands. If you gift a property worth £400,000 that cost you £200,000, HMRC will calculate CGT on a £200,000 gain as if you had sold at market value.
The recipient receives the property at the gifted market value as their base cost — so any subsequent gain for them starts from that point.
However, there is a strategic use case: holdover relief is available on gifts where the recipient will use the property for business purposes (including letting it commercially as a holiday let). If holdover relief applies, the donor's gain is deferred — it is passed to the recipient as a lower base cost, and CGT is not payable until they eventually dispose of the property.
Note: with the FHL regime abolished, the business use argument for holdover relief on holiday lets has weakened. Specialist advice is required.
Property passing on death is not subject to CGT — this is the "CGT uplift on death" rule. The beneficiary inherits the property at its market value at the date of death, effectively washing out any accrued gain during the deceased's lifetime.
However, inheritance tax at 40% applies to the value of the estate above the nil-rate bands. For a property worth £500,000 held in a £1 million estate, the IHT liability could be substantial.
The interaction between CGT and IHT on death requires careful planning — in some cases, gifting during lifetime (and paying CGT) is more efficient than holding until death (and paying 40% IHT); in others, the reverse is true.
A less common but occasionally useful strategy is selling the property to an investor and simultaneously entering a lease arrangement to continue operating the holiday let. This releases equity from the property while maintaining operational control.
Sale and leaseback arrangements are more common in commercial property, but they can work for larger or more institutional holiday let operations. The proceeds from the sale are taxable (CGT), and the ongoing lease payments become a deductible operating expense.
This is typically only financially viable where the holiday let generates sufficient income to cover the lease cost and still produce a meaningful profit.
If your holiday let is held within a limited company, your exit options differ:
Rather than the company selling the property, you sell the shares in the company to a buyer. This transfers the property indirectly. From a buyer's perspective, they acquire a company that owns the property — avoiding SDLT (which would otherwise apply to a direct property purchase). This can make share sales attractive to buyers and can command a modest premium.
The seller pays CGT on the gain in share value. If Business Asset Disposal Relief applies (unlikely for a pure investment company, but worth checking with an accountant), the rate could be 10% on gains up to £1 million.
If you wish to wind up the company and extract value personally, you can either informally strike off the company (for smaller values) or use a Members' Voluntary Liquidation (MVL) process. Under an MVL, the company assets are distributed to shareholders as a capital distribution, which may attract a lower CGT rate than income tax.
Whether you are years away from exit or actively planning it, keeping clean financial records now pays dividends later. LetPilot tracks all booking income, owner payouts, and property expenses — giving you the data your accountant and solicitor need when you are ready to sell. Try LetPilot free at letpilot.co — no credit card required.