Sherlock Homes
Sherlock Homes is a London-based short-let property management firm that manages a small portfolio of furnished apartments across Zones 1 and 2 for property owners, handling listings, pricing, guest communication, and cleaning.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sherlock Homes does
Sherlock Homes is a London-based private company, recognised in 2019, that provides full-service short-let and mid-term property management for landlords in the capital. The company manages a deliberately small portfolio of furnished apartments and houses across twelve named neighborhoods in London's Zones 1 and 2 — Angel, Bloomsbury, Camden Town, Farringdon, Holloway, Islington, Kings Cross, Marylebone, Mortlake, Primrose Hill, Richmond, and Westminster — and operates from a headquarters at 104 Cromer Street, London, WC1H 8BZ. The team of approximately 25 staff positions itself as a personal, boutique alternative to corporate short-let managers and high-street letting agents, claiming ten years of accumulated London short-let expertise.
The core offering bundles professional photography, multi-platform listing creation, dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning and linen coordination, in-house maintenance, and check-in automation (including KeyNest.com 24/7 key collection) into a single managed package. Properties are distributed across seven marketplaces — Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, Homelike, Rightmove, OpenRent, and Zoopla — alongside the company's own direct-booking website. Landlords access an online host dashboard for blocking dates, viewing reservations, and tracking payouts, and the company promotes a 15-minute central-London response time as an operational differentiator.
Sherlock Homes earns revenue primarily through commission on nightly booking income (a per-booking fee deducted before monthly owner payouts) and guest-paid cleaning and linen fees routed through a third-party linen rental partner and its own housekeeping team. Pricing is negotiated per property rather than published on tiered plans, and the company is GDPR-compliant with no disclosed funding, parent company, or institutional ownership.
Sherlock Homes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sherlock Homes
- Legal name
- Sherlock Homes
- Website
- https://sherlockhomesuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sherlock Homes is a London-based short-let property management firm that manages a small portfolio of furnished apartments across Zones 1 and 2 for property owners, handling listings, pricing, guest communication, and cleaning.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sherlock Homes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Short-Term Property Management
- NAICS
- Rental and Leasing Services (532)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (BPAJAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (THAMAKAA), Vacation & Short-Term Rental Management (BPAJAFAI), Turnover Cleaning + Linen Rental/Provisioning (HSAEAEAC)
Keywords
Where Sherlock Homes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sherlock Homes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Property Management Commission: Sherlock Homes manages short-let properties for landlords and generates revenue through commission on rental income. They collect guest accommodation payments to a Safeguarded Client Deposit Account, prepare monthly reports with booking details, deduct their commission, and transfer the remainder to the property owner.
- Guest Cleaning and Linen Services: Housekeeping team schedules cleaning on guest move-out days, arranges linen rental partner to collect used linen and deliver fresh items. This fee is paid by guests and added on top of accommodation revenue, generating additional income without cost to the landlord.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Custom short-let management packages tailored to each property |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sherlock Homes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sherlock Homes provides full-service short-let (vacation rental) property management for landlords in London Zones 1 and 2. The service covers listing creation and management across Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO and Homelike, dynamic pricing, professional photography, 24/7 in-house guest communication, cleaning and linen coordination, maintenance, and automated check-in/check-out via a KeyNest integration. Revenue is earned via a commission on nightly rental income plus guest-paid cleaning and linen fees.
Product overview
Sherlock Homes offers a unified short-let property management platform focused exclusively on London properties. The core offering is the Short-Let Property Management service, which combines listing creation, dynamic pricing, guest communication, and maintenance coordination into a single package. This is complemented by individual add-on modules including Professional Photography Services, Cleaning & Maintenance Coordination, Check-in/Check-out Automation (via KeyNest.com), Assisted Interior Design, and a Host Dashboard for property owners to monitor bookings and payouts. The company operates across London's Zones 1 and 2, managing apartments and houses in Angel, Bloomsbury, Camden Town, Farringdon, Holloway, Islington, Kings Cross, Marylebone, Mortlake, Primrose Hill, Richmond, and Westminster.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Short-Let Property Management Full-service short-term rental management for landlords in London Zones 1 and 2, covering listing creation and multi-platform distribution, dynamic pricing, 24/7 in-house guest communication, cleaning and linen coordination, maintenance, professional photography, and automated check-in/check-out, with revenue earned via commission on rental income plus guest-paid cleaning and linen fees.
Quantifiable outcome
- Short-let properties in zones 1 and 2 generate approximately 30% higher revenue than long-term rental models
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sherlock Homes
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sherlock Homes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature4 records
Sherlock Homes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- KeyNest.comcoreKeyNest provides 24/7 key collection service for guests at properties where in-person meet-and-greet is not possible. This enables seamless check-in automation for the Sherlock Homes property management service.
- Third Party Payment ProcessorscoreSecure online payment processors handle credit/debit card transactions for bookings. These third-party providers specialize in secure capture and processing of payments, as Sherlock Homes does not store card details directly.
- Linen Rental PartnercoreExternal linen rental service that collects used linen and delivers fresh linens and towels between guest stays. This is part of the cleaning and linen service included in the guest experience.
- AirbnbcorePrimary short-term rental platform where Sherlock Homes lists and markets properties. One of the leading platforms for property visibility and bookings.
- Booking.comcoreMajor short-term rental platform used to list and market properties, providing access to a global network of potential guests.
- VRBOcoreShort-term rental platform included in Sherlock Homes' multi-platform marketing strategy for property listings.
- HomelikecoreShort-term rental platform used for property listings, part of Sherlock Homes' distribution across leading platforms.
- RightmovecoreMajor UK property portal used for marketing properties for both short-term and mid-term rentals.
- OpenRentcoreUK property platform used for listing properties for mid-term rental opportunities.
- ZooplacoreLeading UK property portal used for marketing properties across short-term and mid-term rental markets.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sherlock Homes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GuestReady: Pan-European Airbnb management company with significant London operations. Offers full-service short-let management including professional photography, dynamic pricing, and 24/7 guest support, directly comparable to Sherlock Homes' offering.
- Hostmaker: London-headquartered short-let management company targeting urban Airbnb hosts with full-service operations. Closely comparable business model and customer base, though Hostmaker has operated at a larger scale than Sherlock Homes.
- Pass the Keys: UK-based full-service short-let and Airbnb management company with a national franchise-style model. Directly competes with Sherlock Homes for London landlords, offering similar end-to-end services including listing, dynamic pricing, cleaning, and guest communication.
- AirSorted: UK-focused Airbnb management company operating across multiple cities including London. Offers full-service short-let management with a focus on landlord yield optimization, directly competing for the same London property owner segment.
- Houst: UK-based short-let and Airbnb management platform with strong London presence. Provides end-to-end services from listing to cleaning, with a technology-led approach. Direct competitor for London landlords in zones 1-2.
- UnderTheDoormat: London-based short-let management company specializing in luxury and premium properties. Competes directly with Sherlock Homes in the central London luxury apartment segment, offering similar comprehensive services including professional photography and concierge support.
Regional players
- YourAirbnbHost: UK-based short-let management service with operations outside core London areas. Less direct overlap in Zones 1-2 but offers comparable services to landlords in UK cities like Manchester, Edinburgh, and Brighton.
Broad incumbents
- OneFineStay: Premium serviced accommodation brand (part of Accor) that operates luxury short-let apartments in London. Competes in the same high-end London landlord and guest segment but operates at a larger scale with a broader portfolio and hotel-style service standards.
Emerging players
- Lavanda: UK-based short-let management platform with a technology and data-driven approach. More recently emerged as a management partner for build-to-rent and serviced apartment operators, with adjacent overlap to Sherlock Homes' landlord base.
Others
- Guesty: Property management software platform (SaaS) used by short-let managers. While not a direct service competitor, Guesty powers many of the operational tools (channel management, dynamic pricing) that companies like Sherlock Homes use, making it an ecosystem/adjacent player.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sherlock Homes social profiles
Digital presenceSherlock Homes compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Sherlock Homes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sherlock Homes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sherlock Homes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sherlock Homes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sherlock Homes
What does Sherlock Homes do?
Sherlock Homes provides full-service short-let (vacation rental) property management for landlords in London Zones 1 and 2. The service covers listing creation and management across Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO and Homelike, dynamic pricing, professional photography, 24/7 in-house guest communication, cleaning and linen coordination, maintenance, and automated check-in/check-out via a KeyNest integration. Revenue is earned via a commission on nightly rental income plus guest-paid cleaning and linen fees.
Is Sherlock Homes a public or private company?
Sherlock Homes is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sherlock Homes founded?
Sherlock Homes was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sherlock Homes based?
Sherlock Homes is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sherlock Homes make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Property Management Commission is the primary driver. The others are guest Cleaning and Linen Services.
Who are Sherlock Homes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GuestReady, Hostmaker, Pass the Keys, AirSorted, Houst and UnderTheDoormat. YourAirbnbHost is listed as a regional player. OneFineStay is listed as a broad incumbent. Lavanda is listed as an emerging player. Guesty is listed as an others.
Does Sherlock Homes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sherlock Homes.
What industry is Sherlock Homes in?
Sherlock Homes's product category is Short-Term Property Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAIAA, Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management, with a secondary code of THAMAKAA, Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management. Its NAICS code is 532 and its SIC code is 6531.