Beach huts are as much a part of the British seaside as fish and chips. But after one sold for an eye-watering £480,000, do they deserve the sky-high price tags - and should YOU rent one?

26/06/2024

It’s almost impossible to picture the British seaside without imagining a neat line of beach huts hugging the shoreline.

The vibrant cabins are as much a part of Britain’s beaches as fish and chips, striped deckchairs and donkeys.

Once popular with Victorian holidaymakers, beach huts gradually fell out of favour from the 1970s onwards, until the demand for staycations after the pandemic lockdown lifted sent prices soaring.

A beach hut in upmarket Mudeford Sandbank, Dorset, was put up for sale last year for a staggering £480,000 – well above the price of a typical family home, which hit £343,947 this month, according to online property portal Rightmove.

And now owners are listing their beloved beach huts as holiday lets on the website Airbnb for nearly £500 a night – despite them not having running water or electricity.

This pretty beach hut, situated on the Mudeford Sandbank in Dorset, was last year sold for an eye-watering £480,000, some £130,000 more than the price of the average UK home. Inside it boasts quaint decoration, pictured below, and a mezzanine sleeping area

Spend night under stars on Mudeford Sandbank

A charming blue and white beach hut on the rugged Mudeford Sandbank may have once been used by several generations of the same family but it can now be rented for £2,974 a week, or £11,896 a month, on Airbnb.

In comparison, the nearby village of Christchurch residents spend around £1,233 a month on rent, according to property website Zoopla.

On top of the eye-watering £464 a night price tag there’s also a £40 cleaning fee and £150 to pay in taxes for a week’s stay.

The property has a mezzanine which sleeps four and comes with everything you would need for a day at the beach including a kayak, beach towels and umbrella - but no bathroom.

When nature calls the toilet block is 50m away and there are plenty of cold showers available (or a dip in the sea).

A few doors down, a whitewashed beach hut with four single beds and uninterrupted views across to the Isle of Wight is available for £1,579 a week, including a £229 ‘Airbnb service fee’ which the website says pays for customer support and platform running fees.

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For that price guests are provided with bed linen, towels and a small BBQ.

But despite being £263 a night, the hut has a seven night minimum stay, making it almost as expensive as a typical family holiday, which cost £1,944 last year according to insurer Legal & General.

There are just 346 beach huts on Mudeford Sandbank and prices have skyrocketed in the past two decades as demand far outstrips supply.

In 2002 a hut on the peninsula sold for £73,000 but a decade later a nearby one sold for more than double, at £170,000.

In comparison, a typical beach hut in the UK is worth £42,999, according to Rightmove.

Andy Denison, of estate agent Denisons in Christchurch, Dorset, says beach huts in Mudeford are so expensive because of the local council’s regulations, which allow overnight stays between March 1 and October 31.

‘In Mudeford you can sleep in a beach hut but in other areas you can only use them as day huts,’ he says.

‘Demand is very high. I’ve heard stories of people who earn around £300 a night from renting out their beach huts.’

There are more than 20,000 beach huts in the UK, but overnight stays are banned by most councils, including the New Forest in Hampshire, Swanage in Dorset and Abersoch in Wales.

Each council also has its own rules on the appearance of the beach huts in its area and may ban activities such as barbecues and loud music.

But although guests cannot sleep in beach huts in these areas they can still expect to pay more than £100 a day to hire one via Airbnb.

This glorious hut in Whitstable, Kent, can be yours between 9.30am and 5.30pm for £140. From the decked balcony a stunning view of the coast can be enjoyed, pictured below

While away the day in Whitstable

A vintage-inspired beach hut just outside of picturesque Whitstable in Kent can be rented between 9.30am and 5.30pm for £140, including a £20 Airbnb service fee.

For a six day break this would add up to £840 for a family of four without taking into account the cost of overnight accommodation.

For that sum guests can make use of the gas hob, kitsch crockery, stove top kettle and shelf packed with books.

Soak up the sun in Southwold

Meanwhile, a pinstripe hut in the village of Southwold, near the mouth of the River Blyth on the Suffolk Coast, can be booked for £81 per day, which includes an eye-watering £16 cleaning fee and £12 service fee.

Although inside the decoration is minimal there are plenty of beach toys for children, including the essential bucket and spades.

Kathryn Ferry, of the Seaside Heritage Network, says the soaring price of beach huts is a microcosm for what is happening more widely in seaside towns.

Painted in a light blue hue, this charming beach hut in Southwold on the Suffolk coast costs just £81 per day and is equipped with a small hob, pictured below. But beware of the steep £16 cleaning fee

‘A lot of beach huts have been passed down through the generations but the rise of Airbnbs puts that in jeopardy,’ she says.

‘As more homes are being converted into Airbnbs it takes the soul and community out of these areas as the existing community is pushed out.’

An Airbnb spokesman says: ‘Beachfront huts are an example of extraordinary stays on Airbnb that have been captivating travellers worldwide for over a decade.

‘Airbnb enables guests to book a wide range of unique and magical homes that go beyond your traditional hotel room, at every price point.

‘We empower everyday people to become hosts, offering one-of-a-kind stays that fuel tourism in destinations that depend on it.’