Letting Your Property to Center Parcs Workers

The demand picture

Construction started in spring 2026 and will run until the resort opens in summer 2029. During this period, 750–800 construction workers will need accommodation in the area. Many will be working Monday to Friday and travelling home at weekends, creating demand for furnished lets and room rentals.

Once the resort opens, around 1,200 permanent employees will need housing — a mix of local recruits and people relocating to the area for management, hospitality, and specialist roles. This second wave of demand will be longer-term and more varied, including families looking for houses as well as single professionals seeking flats.

What tenants are looking for

During construction (2026–2029)

Contractors typically want:

• Furnished accommodation — ready to move into with beds, white goods, and basic kitchen equipment
• Flexible tenancies — Scotland's Private Residential Tenancy allows tenants to leave with 28 days' notice, which suits contractor working patterns
• Parking — most construction workers drive to site
• Wi-Fi included — increasingly expected, particularly for younger workers
• Bills included — simplifies budgeting for a temporary stay. Landlords who bundle council tax and utilities into the rent attract tenants faster

Sharing is common among construction teams. A 2- or 3-bed property let to a pair or group of colleagues can achieve higher total rent than a single-occupancy let.

Once the resort opens (2029 onwards)

Resort employees will have more typical rental needs — unfurnished family homes, long-term tenancies, proximity to schools and amenities. The demand profile will broaden significantly.

Pricing your property

The Borders rental market is competitive on value, and landlords who price sensibly will let quickly. Current typical rents:

• 1-bed flat, Hawick: £375–£500 per month
• 2-bed flat, Galashiels: £550–£700 per month
• 3-bed house, Selkirk: £700–£950 per month
• Room in shared house: £300–£500 per month (often including bills)

For furnished, bills-included lets aimed at contractors, you can reasonably add 15–25% to these figures. A furnished 2-bed flat in Hawick at £700 per month including council tax and utilities represents good value for a contractor earning trade wages, and a strong return for the landlord.

Legal requirements

Before letting a property in Scotland, make sure you have:

• Landlord registration with Scottish Borders Council — this is a legal requirement and costs approximately £75 for three years
• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — must be at least Band E (rising to Band D from 2025 for new tenancies)
• Gas and electrical safety certificates — annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every five years
• A deposit protection scheme — any deposit must be lodged in an approved scheme (SafeDeposits Scotland, Letting Protection Service Scotland, or mydeposits Scotland) within 30 working days
• A Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) agreement — the standard tenancy type in Scotland since December 2017

If you're letting furnished accommodation for stays under six months, you may instead need a short-term let licence from Scottish Borders Council. Check whether your intended letting arrangement falls under the PRT or STL regime before advertising.

Why list on Rent in the Borders

We're the only rental portal focused entirely on the Scottish Borders. Unlike Rightmove or Zoopla, where Borders properties are buried among thousands of listings from across the UK, your property appears in front of people specifically searching for a home in this area.

• Free basic listings for letting agents and private landlords
• Rightmove feed integration for agents — connect your feed and your properties appear automatically
• Neighbourhood pages for every Borders town — tenants can research the area alongside your listing
• Center Parcs contractor traffic — our guides for construction workers direct people actively searching for accommodation straight to your listing

List your property for free or register as an agent to connect your Rightmove feed.

Making your property contractor-ready

If you have a property sitting empty or underperforming, here's a quick checklist for making it attractive to the Center Parcs construction workforce:

1. Furnish it — even basic furnishing (beds, sofa, dining table, white goods) dramatically widens your tenant pool. Second-hand furniture from charity shops or Facebook Marketplace keeps costs down.
2. Include Wi-Fi — budget £25–£30 per month. Most contractors expect it.
3. Consider including bills — a single monthly figure is simpler for both parties. Factor in average gas, electric, water, council tax, and broadband when setting the rent.
4. Provide parking — if your property doesn't have dedicated parking, mention the nearest free on-street options in your listing.
5. Allow flexibility — contractors may need to leave at short notice when a project phase ends. Scotland's PRT already allows 28-day notice from the tenant, so this is built in.

The Center Parcs construction programme runs for three years. That's a long window of sustained demand — enough to justify the upfront cost of furnishing a property that's currently empty or between tenants.

List your property for free — it takes under two minutes.