Short-Term vs. Long-Term Airbnb Rentals [Comparison Guide] – TRVLGUIDES [Learn How To Travel]

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Airbnb Rentals

Airbnb guests can book short-term or long-term rentals.

Flexible options make Airbnb one of the best places to book travel accommodation. You’ll find various property types (dorm beds to luxury villas) and stays of varying lengths (one night to multiple months). I’ve booked Airbnbs ranging from four hours to three months.

In this guide, we’ll compare short-term and long-term Airbnb rentals.

After explaining how short-term and long-term rentals work, I’ll give you reasons to consider both, demonstrate how to book both types, explain why a host may prefer renting short or long-term, and answer frequently asked questions regarding rental length on Airbnb.

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What’s A Short-Term Airbnb Rental?

According to Airbnb, “while the exact number of days varies by jurisdiction, generally any reservation of a month or longer may be considered a long-term reservation”. In other words, short-term rentals are less than 28 days. This includes bookings that last for a few hours, for day use or for one night.

Any type of accommodation can be rented short-term (villa, apartment, room, etc.).

How Short-Term Airbnb Rentals Work

Airbnb hosts can offer weekly percentage discounts on stays lasting 7-27 days. The percentage varies by listing, but I’ve booked stays discounted from 5% to 50% off. For stays lasting 27 days or fewer (short-term stays), guests pay the entire booking cost at the time of reservation (unless the booking qualifies for a payment plan).

Some local jurisdictions have banned or restricted short-term Airbnb rentals (or have laws requiring hosts to obtain a permit). Here are some examples of international cities with laws affecting short-term Airbnb rentals. Here’s a list of American cities. *The information in both articles are subject to change.

Airbnb has general standards for all guests and hosts (Trust & Safety page).

For short-term rentals, hosts set their own house rules and cancellation/refund policy, which their guests agree to when booking. Airbnb can only enforce its own policies, but hosts can require guests to accept an additional short-term rental agreement as well. Such an agreement must be clearly outlined and can’t violate Airbnb’s terms.

2 Reasons To Book A Short-Term Airbnb Rental

1) You’ll Have More Flexibility

If you enjoy experiencing local culture (cafes, markets, etc.), booking multiple short-term rentals rather than one long-term rental allows you the flexibility to immerse yourself in multiple neighborhoods within a city.

2) You’ll Meet Multiple Hosts

For travelers like myself, a trip abroad feels incomplete without experiencing some connection to the local people. Booking multiple short-term stays allows you to interact with multiple hosts, who can each offer unique insights on their culture, things to do and places to eat.

How To Book A Short-Term Airbnb Rental

On Airbnb.com, enter your destination, dates and the number of guests, then click “Search”. If the time span you entered is less than 28 days, your search results will only display short-term stays.

For the full guide to booking an Airbnb (including how to spot quality listings), click here.

*Vrbo.com is the best alternative to Airbnb for apartment and house rentals. For today’s deals, click here.

What’s A Long-Term Airbnb Rental?

According to Airbnb, “while the exact number of days varies by jurisdiction, generally any reservation of a month or longer may be considered a long-term reservation”. In other words, long-term rentals are 28 days or longer. Many guests never consider booking a month-long stay, but it’s a comfortable and cost-efficient way to travel if you have the time.

Any type of accommodation can be booked long-term (from rooms to entire homes).

How Long-Term Airbnb Rentals Work

Airbnb changed the way most people feel about renting a home. While hotel service can be great, the homely feel (design, amenities, etc.) and location of an Airbnb stay can add a level of coziness, familiarity and uniqueness that’s difficult to find in the typical hotel stay.

Airbnb hosts can offer monthly percentage discounts on stays lasting 28 days or longer. Percentages vary, but I’ve booked long-term stays discounted from 5% to 50% off. For long-term stays, guests pay a big chunk of their total booking cost at the time of reservation, then pay the remainder a few weeks into their stay. For stays longer than 2 months, your remaining total will be charged as monthly installments.

To read Airbnb’s words on paying for long-term rentals, click here.

Month-long reservations (28 days or longer) follow a standard cancellation policy set by Airbnb. To read Airbnb’s monthly rental cancellation policy, click here. Also, there are no fees unique to long-term rentals that don’t apply to short-term rentals.

Some hosts require guests to accept a long-term rental agreement, which may include rules or terms for things like mailing address permissions, resident/tenant status, etc. Some jurisdictions, like Paris, have strict laws in regards to long-term rentals.

For some long-term stays, hosts require their guests to pay for utilities (electricity, water, etc.) for the time they’re in the property. I’ve experienced this multiple times. If your host requires you to pay utilities, this information should be disclosed before your booking is confirmed.

3 Reasons To Book A Long-Term Airbnb Rental

1) You’ll Have A Reliable Home Base

A comfortable long-term rental (safe neighborhood, abundant amenities) can make a great home base for day trips and for storing belongings when you’re out exploring a region. It’s often more convenient to keep your largest bags under a single roof when you leave for a road trip.

2) You’ll Be Less Hassled

Booking one long-term stay (compared to multiple short-term stays) can save you time and hassle. Packing and unpacking, then moving between properties, cuts into your travel time and can get tiresome. You may even have to adjust your itinerary to match your host’s availability when checking in.

3) You’ll (Usually) Save Money

Booking a monthly stay is a great way to save money on accommodation. You’ll find percentage discounts and save on fees (cleaning fee, service fee), since you’ll only pay them once (as opposed to multiple times when booking multiple short-term stays for that same time span).

How To Book A Long-Term Airbnb Rental

On Airbnb.com, enter your destination, dates and the number of guests, then click “Search”. If the time span you entered is 28 days or longer, your search results will only display long-term stays.

When browsing your search results, you’ll notice that some listings offer discounts. Click these listings to see the monthly percentage discount applied to the price section (screenshot below).

If you don’t see a discount, that listing doesn’t offer one.

For a step-by-step guide to booking an Airbnb (including how to spot quality listings), click here.

*Vrbo.com is the best alternative to Airbnb for apartment and house rentals. For today’s deals, click here.

4 Reasons A Host May Prefer A Short Or Long-Term Rental

2 Benefits Of Short-Term Rentals

1) More Flexibility

Many hosts rent out their own personal home (or part of it). Sometimes they’ll sleep at a friend or family member’s house on nights their place is booked. Some hosts prefer to keep their spare room available in case their friends or family visit. In such cases, long-term rentals can be an inconvenience for the host.

2) More Total Profit

If a host has a popular listing (high occupancy rate), they’ll typically earn more per night by renting their place out for multiple short-term stays rather than for one single long-term stay. This is because the host would earn fees on each short-term booking and wouldn’t lose potential income because of a monthly discount.

2 Benefits Of Long-Term Rentals

1) Less Maintenance/Work

During a long-term stay, the host (or their staff) handles check-in, answers intro questions and cleans the place one time (usually). But with multiple bookings, hosts must repeat these tasks multiple times, which can get difficult if Airbnb isn’t their full-time job.

2) Feels More Secure

Many hosts believe short-term guests are more likely to neglect a property, while long-term guests are incentivized to care more (this is debatable). Hosts have the final say as to which guests are accepted into their property, unless they’ve enabled Instant Book.

FAQ About Short-Term And Long-Term Airbnb Rentals

Is Airbnb Good For Long-Term Rentals?

Airbnb is a great place to find long-term rentals – as long as you know how to spot quality listings and trustworthy hosts. For a step-by-step guide to booking on Airbnb, click here.

How Long Can You Stay In An Airbnb Rental?

Hosts set their own minimum and maximum stay length.

From my research, it doesn’t seem that Airbnb enforces a maximum time limit for how long a guest can stay in a rental (or at least I couldn’t find it), but there could be local laws in a particular destination. Do your own research if you’re considering booking an Airbnb for longer than a few months.

*Keep in mind, an Airbnb rental will tend to cost more than renting through the local market (the rate that a local resident would pay on a rental lease). An Airbnb rental usually isn’t the best option (financially) if you plan to stay in a destination for longer than a few months.

Does Airbnb Offer Extended Stays?

The term “extended stay” can be used to describe an apartment, hotel or aparthotel designed for mid to long-term stays (weeks to months). They’re equipped with standard amenities like a kitchen/kitchenette, daily housekeeping and 24-hour reception (amenities vary by property).

Many extended stays list their rooms on Airbnb. The best way to find one that fits your taste and budget is to use the search filters for the specific amenities you want. Extended stays may offer weekly or monthly discounts and follow the same payment process and policies that other Airbnb rentals do.

What’s The Cancellation Policy For Long-Term Rentals?

Airbnb enforces a standard cancellation policy on all long-term rentals (28 days or longer). To read the full details of Airbnb’s long-term rental cancellation policy, click here. For the complete guide to refunds and cancellations on Airbnb, click here.

Does Airbnb Handle/Manage Long-Term Rentals?

Airbnb “manages” long-term rentals the same way it “manages” short-term rentals. Airbnb doesn’t own the places you see listed on the site. Each listing is created and hosted by individuals or companies using Airbnb’s platform to rent their properties out to guests.

Does Airbnb Offer Deals Or Coupons For Monthly Stays?

Airbnb doesn’t offer monthly stay coupons, but you’ll find monthly percentage discounts using the demonstration above. Airbnb’s referral program, which gave users a first-time booking discount up to $65 off, was discontinued in 2021. To learn about the discontinued referral program, click here.

How Do You Change A Long-Term Airbnb Reservation?

For the step-by-step guide to changing an existing Airbnb reservation (short or long-term), click here.

*Vrbo.com is the best alternative to Airbnb for apartment and house rentals. For today’s deals, click here.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

Booking multiple short-term stays allows you to immerse yourself in various neighborhoods within a destination and interact with more hosts. Long-term rentals allow you to establish a reliable home base, be less hassled, and save money while traveling.

To learn more about Airbnb, explore our other guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

Learn More About Airbnb

Introduction To Airbnb

• What Is Airbnb? [How It Works, Makes Money, FAQ]

• Is Airbnb Safe, Legit And Trustworthy? [Plus 5 Scams To Avoid]

• 13 Reasons Every Traveler Should Try Airbnb [At Least Once]

Understand Your Options

• Airbnb vs. Hotels Comparison [Atmosphere, Price, Safety, Amenities]

• Airbnb vs. VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, TurnKey, OVO [Comparison]

• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Airbnb Rentals [Comparison Guide]

Get Started With Airbnb

• How To Create An Airbnb Account [Or Change Or Delete It]

• How To Book An Airbnb [The Complete Guide]

• How To Pay On Airbnb [Step-By-Step, FAQ]

Know Before You Go

• What To Bring To An Airbnb [Know Before You Go]

• How To Check Into And Check Out Of An Airbnb [Traveler’s Guide]

• Airbnb Etiquette Guide [Know Before You Go]

• Airbnb’s Age Restrictions [Under 18, 25, FAQ]

Specific Types Of Bookings

• How To Find An Airbnb With A Specific Feature [Or Unique Stay]

• How To Find An Airbnb That Allows Pets [Airbnb’s Pet Policy]

• How To Find An Airbnb With A Pool, Hot Tub Or Jacuzzi [Step-By-Step]

• Can You Throw A Party In An Airbnb Rental? [Party Policy Explained]

Cancellations, Refunds And Changes

• How To Change Or Cancel Your Airbnb Booking [Step-By-Step]

• Airbnb’s Cancellation And Refund Policy [Flexible, Moderate, Strict]

Airbnb’s Other Listing Categories

• Airbnb Plus Explained [Airbnb’s Vetted Listings]

• Airbnb Luxe Explained [Airbnb’s Luxury Listings]

Airbnb’s Other Features

• Airbnb Experiences Explained [Plus How To Book, Examples]

• Airbnb Adventures Explained [Plus How To Book, Examples]

Help With Your Account

• How To Contact Airbnb [Phone, Email, Resolutions, Emergencies]

• How To Leave A Review On Airbnb [And Earn A High Rating]

• Airbnb Gift Card Guide [How It Works, Where To Buy One, FAQ]

• The Updated Guide To Airbnb Referral Promo Codes [2022]