6 Best Websites for Finding Short-Term Housing

Table of Contents:

Overview of Short-Term Rental Housing

Short-term rental housing demand has grown in popularity recently, especially with rental agencies such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Short-term rentals are typically described as a rental of any residential home, apartment unit, accessory building/unit, or room for a short period. The time frame ranges from rental periods of less than 30 days to several months, depending on the rental location.

Other words used to describe short-term rentals include transient rentals, vacation rentals, short-term vacation rentals, and resort dwelling units.

Categories of Short-Term Housing

Short-term rentals can be divided into several categories. First, owners of the properties designate to their tax assessor if they reside in their home 51% of the time or more per year. If they are in their home more than half the year, their house is considered an owner-occupied dwelling. If they are not, the home is a non-owner-occupied dwelling.

Entire Homes

Rental properties are considered short-term rentals if the owner spends most of their time at the house but occasionally rents out their home for a few days, weeks or months. Also, for owners that do not reside in their homes for more than half of the year but rent out their homes for a short period, their rentals are considered short-term rental properties.

Accessory Dwelling Units

Accessory dwelling units or ADUs are portions of an existing property that homeowners rent to tenants. Examples may include a guest house or a garage apartment. Any time these ADUs are leased for a short time frame, they are deemed short-term rentals.

Rooms

When a homeowner rents out a room in their house, not to be confused with an ADU, which is separate from the house, it is considered a short-term rental.

Apartments

Apartment buildings offer traditional lease terms to tenants, but many also offer short-term rental options.

Extended Stay Hotels

Extended stay hotels are also commonly known as apartment hotels. They are fully furnished and a short-term rental option.

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Short-Term Housing by Location

Some cities have specific definitions of short-term housing. The term varies by city. Some separate single-family and multi-family housing, and some distinguish between areas zoned as residential versus commercial—also, some separate owner-occupied versus non-owner-occupied homes. Your local government websites provide details on how rental properties are defined and categorized in your community.

Short-Term Rental Considerations

There are several reasons you may need short-term housing. A few reasons may include:

• Waiting on completion of your custom-built home
• Going away for business in another city
• Ending a lease before moving to your next home

Before you begin your search, consider a few factors:

• Cost. Know the upper limit of what you can afford for rent. Find out what housing typically costs in the area to ensure you get a reasonable price.
• Transit. Do you need parking or quick access to public transportation—or both?
• Location. How far away can realistically be if you’re commuting to classes or work? Housing near the city’s center may be more convenient but more expensive.
• Furnishings. Would you prefer a furnished rental at a higher cost, or can you take an unfurnished place and purchase your basics, which may add up cost-wise, too? Of course, this all depends on your comfort level and the length of your stay. Also, consider what you will do at the end of your sublet with any furnishings you buy (sell, give away, take with you).
• Roommates. Are you willing to live with roommates or housemates?
• Access to essentials. For example, if you are cooking, you need a kitchen and a grocery store you can access.
• Look for laundry facilities close by, too.

6 Best Websites for Finding Short-Term Housing

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to find short-term rental options around the country. Everything from fully furnished short-term rentals and apartments to full houses and extended-stay hotels offers exceptional rental solutions for temporary housing.

1. AirBnB

Airbnb offers a great alternative to hotel stays for vacations and trips. The website also provides short-term rental options for subletting homes for months.

Positives:

• Listings are easy to browse
• Variety of housing types abundant
• No full leases required
• Flexibility in rental lengths
• Payments are secure
• Booking is instant

Available Housing: Houses, Apartments, Single bedrooms

2. Sublet.com

Sublet.com offers the ability to sublet homes but is also famous for its short-term rental options. The listing availability ranges from short-term leases to open leases for flexibility.

Positives:

• Listings easy to browse
• Direct leases and sublet options
• Several types of housing
• Open leases or short-term leases
• Booking is instant

Available Housing: Houses, Apartments, Single bedroom

3. VRBO

Vrbo is great for vacation rentals and short-term lease rentals. The site focuses on full-home rentals with furnished short-term rentals. The homes are priced based on shorter stays, but more extended rental periods are available.

Positives:

• Listings easy to browse
• Several types of housing
• No leases
• Rental lengths are flexible
• Payments are secure
• Booking is instant

Available Housing: Houses, Apartments

4. Short-Term Housing

Short-Term Housing is ideal for business travelers. The site is incredibly easy to use and provides a professional service to find a perfect home for your short-term rental needs. First, you submit a request and the business supplies options that fit your budget. Once you select an option, the company manages the lease, deposit, and move-in and move-out on your behalf.

Positives:

• Professional support in finding a rental
• Personalized experience and search results
• No leases
• Several housing types are available
• Fully-custom experience, including furniture options

Available Housing: Houses, Apartments

5. Extended Stay America

Extended Stay America is an extended stay hotel with over 650 locations in the United States and Canada. The booking experience is similar to a traditional hotel but is for a short-term rental experience. The rooms include a fully equipped kitchen, free WIFI, breakfast, and more.

Positives:

• Booking is instant
• Rooms are standard
• Amenities
• Rental terms are flexible
• Rooms are fully furnished
• Pet-friendly

Available Housing: Extended-stay hotel rooms

6. Apartment Guide

Apartment Guide is a top apartment rental website and can also be used to find temporary apartment housing. In addition, you can search for nearby apartments that offer short-term leases—such as three-month or six-month agreements. You can also find furnished short-term rentals.

Positives:

• Several listings to browse
• Searches with filter options
• Short-term lease options
• Furnished apartment options

Available Housing: Apartments

Additional, apartment rental sites include:

• Apartment List
• Apartments.com
• Apartment Finder

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you find apartments online?

Finding an apartment can be a long process and requires research. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process.

• Get Organized

The first step in finding a new apartment is organizing your finances and determining how much you can afford to pay for rent month in rent and a deposit. Then, make a list of all of the features you need in the apartment and your wish list of desired features. From there, search for neighborhoods with apartments in your price range.

• Check Out Apartment Websites

Apartment Guide offers excellent search features and a list of neighborhoods in your city. You can filter by price and several other components to narrow your search and find your perfect apartment. A few of the search filters include property name, distance, and number of bedrooms. There are also several photos on each listing. In addition to ApartmentGuide.com, most apartment listing websites will feature the same properties. Apartments.com is also an excellent site to search and has a checklist you can fill out before starting your search that helps expedite the process when looking for something specific.

• Visit Craigslist to Find Options

Craigslist is an excellent site for those in large metropolitan areas. Most of the listings will be placed by landlords renting out smaller apartment units so that you will find options outside the larger complexes. However, Craigslist can be known for housing scams, so be careful in your searches.

Here are a few tips to help with Craigslist apartment hunting:

1. Do not input detailed search parameters.

Unfortunately, landlords complete the listings themselves and sometimes list details in the incorrect sections making the search inaccurate

2. Watch out for scams.

Pay attention to the photos in the listing. They usually indicate scams. For example, if the pictures look too good to be true for the price, this is a red flag. Also, pay attention to the business from which you are renting. Some companies list rent-to-own properties versus short-term or long-term rentals only.

3. Select Your Top Choices

Choose from the top choices that fit within your budget and needs and desires in your favorite neighborhoods. Then, highlight the features on the lists of amenities for each apartment and go from there.

4. Read Apartment Reviews

Look over all of the apartment reviews you can find and see which stand out the most to you, both positive and negative. Often for negative experiences, you will see a trend in several reviews citing the same issues with the community. These indicate a real issue and not just one person unhappy with the complex.

Apartment review websites work to compile reviews on complexes and property management companies from renters. These websites can be a great source of information, but keep in mind that not all people have honest intentions. For example, overly glowing and shockingly negative reviews can indicate fake reviews posted by employees or incentivize residents. Also, upset former tenants like to make negative comments about their former property manager.

5. Make Appointments to Visit Your Top Apartments

Once you’ve narrowed down your list online, it’s time to set up appointments with each apartment, go see your four or five favorite options in person, and decide. Again, using the various tools available to you online can save valuable time narrowing down your search.

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How do you know if you’ve found a legitimate short-term rental?

Many cities have guidelines defining short-term rentals. For example, some require property owners to have short-term rental licenses for properties in which they receive revenue from a dwelling or rental unit. Often a short-term rental permit is the way the local government protects renters.

Also, protect yourself as a renter with a shorter lease term. As you look for rental housing, keep the following tips in mind:

• Make sure there are pictures.

Only consider listings that show the inside and outside of the short-term rental property. This is the best way to avoid a scam and ensure you are looking at a legitimate listing for a property.

• Ask the owner questions.

Ask the landlord questions about the rental to determine if the house or apartment is a good fit for your needs. This helps ensure you can discover red flags and know the landlord is being open and honest with you.

• Do some research.

Look up the property on Google to see if the property is genuine.

You can see online Google reviews and the experience of past renters who have lived at the rental property.

• Keep your money safe.

Make sure there is a contract before you send the landlord any funds. Also, use a secure payment system if possible. Airbnb and Vrbo are two platforms that offer secure payment.

Most importantly, use your intuition to guide you in your search. Does everything feel right about the rental and the landlord? If something seems too great to be true, it most likely is. Listen to your instincts if something does not feel right about the situation.

Which short-term rental site is best?

Airbnb is a great short-term rental site. The website offers listings that are easy to browse, variety in housing types, flexibility in rental lengths, secure payments, and instant booking.

Which apartment hunting website is best?

Apartment Guide is arguably the best website for apartment hunting. The website offers several listings to browse, searches with filter options, short-term lease options, and furnished apartment options.

Summary

Finding a short-term rental does not have to be a hassle. Whether looking for corporate housing or a temporary rental house, do your research and find a solution within your budget that meets your needs. The Internet has made available more short-term rental options than ever before.