How to Find Short Term Rental Listings

Are you looking for a short term?

Finding anything that is out of the norm can be hard and tricky! I have noticed that there have been a lot of people looking for short term rentals lately. The people that I have spoken to have said there is great difficulty in finding a suitable place.

We have had to look for a short term rental twice. Unfortunately finding budget friendly short term places are MUCH harder.

The first time was when we thought my husband was deploying out of Virginia Beach. I was working 45-minutes away from home and wanted to downsize during the deployment. Our huge house was a lot of maintenance for just me, and I wanted to focus on my career.

The second time was when we had very last minute orders across the country ( I think one week) and all the hotels were sold out. Honestly, I felt like we were reliving the Christmas story. While things worked out both times, there was a large learning curve!

In the first situation, I had months notice and had a lot of difficulty. At first, I wanted to find a roommate to help in my house. When that didn’t work, I started to look for a place just for me. Later, I needed a place to for us to stay for 2.5 months while we closed on our house after the first one fell out of contract.

The great thing is that there are tons of places to looking for short terms places.

AirBnb – Airbnb tends to be the cheapest option. They have rooms, entire apartments and even sharing a room options.  Many landlords tend to offer weekly and monthly discounts. So there is really something for everyone and every budget. The fees are minimal so that is a huge plus.

Use this Link to get $35 off your first Stay

Home Away (VRBO) – This is another great site for finding rentals. It tends to be a little more expensive properties than AirBnb in my experience. On the other hand we have found some awesome places. When my friends and I went to Istanbul we used them and the place was amazing.

FlipKey – Honestly, I have never used them stateside but when you are smaller or very competitive markets looking every where is key. While some landlords will post every where others will only post in one or two places. So looking every where is important.

TripAdvisor–. The only time I have looked at Trip Advisor for vacation rentals was overseas for a rental this past summer. In the area we have moved has not had any listing on Trip Advisor.

Booking.com – I had never used them before I went to a friends wedding this summer in Oslo, Norwary. When coming home from Oslo, I realized that I booked a 6am flight from the wrong airport. Instead of doing city center Oslo, I picked the one 3.5 hours away in the boonies. Of course there was no chain hotels, so I looked everywhere. I ended up stumbling onto bookings.com. The little mom and pop place I found through them was absolutely great. It was easy to use, clean and the best part cheap. I would totally try them again!

Corporate Housing By Owner– I am just getting started with this site as landlord. I have never used them as a tenant but they are gear to the short term stays that are geared to 30 + days (although some places offer less in there listing). So this is a perfect place to look for those wanting a fully furnished place.

Use Reluctantlandlord to get a $50 off Corporate Housing By Owner!

HomeSuite – I have not tried them yet as tenant but I am working with them as a landlord. My buddy who has a TON of places in San Francisco LOVES Home Suites. He told me he make more money than any other company and they are easy because he is dealign with a corporate not a client.

Extend Stay America– My husband stayed at one of these for a 6 week internship during college. We were dating at the time so I came down and visited him. They were very clean, neat and simple. I actually honestly almost stayed with one during my internship because of such a positive experience. I ended up finding a room rental situation. Otherwise I would have because I love the government rates, the pet friendly nature and the fact that they have GREAT coupons for long term stays!

My Favorite Place to Find Short Term Rentals

After a lot of trial and error, I found the key– Craigslist! There was a way to work Craigslist so you can find a short term rental.

I found placing a wanted ad was the best way to go. There were a ton of people who just watched the wanted section but would never post their own ad. While there is potential for finding scams, you can reduce that probability while reaching out to those reading the post and drawing them in to contact you.

The key is to walk the fine line between being too specific and not specific enough. I placed an ad like the example below:

Officer couple in their mid-to-late 20s looking for a short term rental due to a military relocation. In the process of buying a house but need a place to call home for 2 months. No drugs, do not smoke, one cat, quiet. Looking for an in-law suite, renting out a deploying member home, etc. Look forward to hearing from you!

This is enough information that they know a little about you and what you are looking for, but not too much information. When responses come in, you filter. I used to feel bad about not responding to everyone, but I found it was safer to just respond to those who fit what you were looking for. I also recommend you keep hitting the refresh button.

In both situations, we found the perfect place. The first time it was an in-law suite and the second time it was a TDY member’s home! Totally doable! So I hope this list hopes you find the perfect place that meets your needs.

What is your usual strategy for finding a short term listing? Have you had success with a different approach?