Property Letting Cambridge: How to Track Profitability by Platform in Cambridge UK

Not all booking platforms are created equal — and neither is your profit. If you’ve got a property to let near Cambridge and you're listing on Airbnb, Booking.com, and your own direct site, the income figures might look similar at first glance. But once you subtract fees, refunds, cancellations, and cleaning costs, the real picture emerges. Understanding platform performance is at the heart of smart property letting Cambridge landlords can rely on.

What Metrics Actually Matter

It’s not about gross revenue — it’s about what you keep. To get a clear view, you’ll need to compare:

• Net revenue per night (after fees and taxes)

• Occupancy rate by platform

• Commission percentages (Airbnb’s host fee vs Booking.com’s margin)

• Refund or dispute frequency

• Average length of stay

• Cancellation rates

For example, you might find that Airbnb delivers more bookings but at a higher operational cost, while your direct website generates fewer stays but longer durations with fewer deductions. Platforms like Booking.com may excel during high season but fall short on guest quality. These nuances matter when managing properties to let Cambridge-wide.

Tools That Help You Compare

You don’t need to be a data analyst to make sense of it all. Most Property Management Systems (PMS) now offer consolidated dashboards that break down platform performance. You can also track data manually using Excel templates, categorising bookings by platform and noting costs, reviews, and incidentals.

Each platform also offers its own analytics section. Airbnb’s Insights tab, Booking.com’s Pulse app, and Google Analytics for your direct site are essential. Even if you manage flats to let Cambridge UK professionals favour for business, or short let apartments Cambridge guests use for weekends, the same rules apply — track, compare, and adjust.

When to Double Down or Diversify

Once you’ve tracked six months of performance, patterns begin to emerge. You might discover that direct bookings result in higher guest satisfaction and fewer cancellations, making them more profitable over time. Or perhaps Booking.com fills midweek gaps that Airbnb doesn’t touch.

This is the point where you can decide to double down — investing more in one platform’s exposure — or diversify, ensuring you’re never dependent on one source. Either way, data guides you toward stronger returns on your flats to let Cambridge UK guests seek out.

Let Cambridge Stays Track It All For You

At Cambridge Stays, we don’t just manage bookings — we manage strategy. From houses to let Cambridgeshire families enjoy, to flat to let Cambridge city explorers book by the night, we track platform performance in real time. Our reports show where your money is coming from — and how to get more of it.

Because great property letting Cambridge landlords benefit from isn’t just about filling nights. It’s about knowing what those nights are worth.

Ready to Know Where Your Profit Really Comes From?

If you’re guessing instead of tracking, you’re leaving money on the table. Let Cambridge Stays show you which listings perform best, where to adjust pricing, and how to build more profitable calendars. Data doesn’t lie — it delivers.