Holiday letting in Scarborough and the Yorkshire coast

The Yorkshire coast is a traditional seaside market that has found new life. Scarborough's two bays, the Spa and the open-air theatre fill the summer; Whitby, with its abbey, harbour and Goth weekends, stays busy well into autumn; Filey and Robin Hood's Bay appeal to families and walkers on the Cleveland Way. The North York Moors sit right behind. Guests book terraced cottages, sea-view flats and fishermen's houses, and many come back every year.

A coast debating holiday lets

Whitby in particular has a high share of holiday homes, and the issue is political. In June 2026 the local MP called for a licensing scheme as the only real way to regulate short lets. Nothing of the sort exists yet. Today England has no licence, and the government says its national register should be fully operational by March 2027. Planning law still applies: North Yorkshire Council can treat intensive letting as a change of use where it alters the character of a home or a street, and many older town-centre buildings come with shared access that neighbours will care about.

The tax picture

North Yorkshire Council has charged a 100% premium on second homes since April 2025, meaning double council tax on furnished properties with nobody living in them. Holiday lets that meet the business rates tests, 140 nights available and 70 nights let in a 12-month period, are rated as businesses instead, which is why the local debate focuses on that switch. Letting profits are taxed as normal property income; the furnished holiday lettings regime ended in April 2025.

What works here

• Lean on the events calendar, from Whitby's festivals to summer shows in Scarborough, to fill the shoulder seasons.
• Invest in good heating and drying space: much of the demand is for walking and winter breaks.
• Keep an accurate record of nights available and let, in case your rating is ever questioned.

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Steam trains, sea battles and moorland skies

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway links Pickering with Whitby via Goathland, whose station appears in film and television, and many visitors plan their whole trip around a ride. In Scarborough, the castle headland separates the bays, Peasholm Park stages its summer naval battle re-enactments on the lake, the Stephen Joseph Theatre premieres Alan Ayckbourn's plays, and Oliver's Mount hosts motorcycle road racing that brings a loyal crowd. Yorkshire's county cricketers play festival matches at North Marine Road.

Whitby adds the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Dracula connections and an August regatta. North of it, Staithes and Runswick Bay draw artists and walkers, and inland, Dalby Forest offers mountain biking and some of the darkest skies in England, part of the national park's dark sky reserve. South of Filey, the seabird cliffs at Bempton attract birdwatchers in spring and early summer.

What owners should know

• Whitby's old town is steep, with narrow yards and very limited parking; say so honestly and suggest where to leave the car.
• Guests arriving on the steam railway need walking directions from the station.
• For racing and regatta weekends, adjust prices early.