Holiday-let owners can explain environmental improvements without promising that those improvements will transform bookings. The stronger starting point is a specific, supported description of what the property offers, rather than an unqualified claim that a stay is green or sustainable.
This guide replaces an archived demand forecast with practical checks for short-let marketing. It makes no prediction about occupancy, achievable rent or guests’ willingness to pay more.
Start with the evidence
The Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code asks businesses to make environmental claims that are accurate, understandable and supported. Important qualifications should not be hidden, comparisons need a meaningful basis, and a narrow improvement should not create an exaggerated impression of the whole service.
For an owner, that means keeping the evidence behind the wording alongside the listing. If the description refers to installed equipment, check that the equipment is present and available to guests. If it describes a measured reduction, identify the period, comparison and method before using the figure.
Be precise about the benefit
The CAP advertising rules distinguish broad environmental claims from narrower statements about a particular feature. Absolute claims need strong substantiation. Where a statement concerns only part of a product or service’s life cycle, its limits must be clear and must not mislead about the overall impact.
A practical example is a property with solar panels. Describing the installation does not, by itself, demonstrate that every part of a guest’s stay has no carbon impact. Similarly, providing recycling facilities is a specific amenity; it is not evidence that the entire holiday business is environmentally harmless. These are examples of applying the guidance, not assessments of a particular property.
Review every version of the listing
Make a small checklist covering the owner’s website, booking-platform description and promotional material. Record the claim, its supporting document and the date it was checked. If a feature is unavailable or its specification changes, revisit the wording wherever it appears.
For guests, useful information explains what they can actually use and what any environmental comparison means. For owners, this approach keeps marketing tied to verifiable features rather than unsupported demand forecasts. Seek specialist advice where a broad certification, comparative claim or environmental promise is central to the offer.
Sources: Competition and Markets Authority Green Claims Code; CAP Code section 11 on environmental claims. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-claims-code-making-environmental-claims/environmental-claims-on-goods-and-services https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/11.html