How to Rent Long-Term with Airbnb

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Whether it’s a short layover, a weekend getaway, or a long-term reservation, Airbnb can be used for just about any kind of stay! In fact, since I started working online, I’ve spent the majority of my time living in Airbnb apartments.

Over the last three years, I’ve lived in nearly 20 different Airbnb apartments long-term. Each of the reservations are between 1-3 months in length. I normally book several months in advance, which makes most of these Airbnb apartments actually more cost-effective than renting an apartment back home.

While the majority of my stays have been great experiences, I’ve definitely run into some issues along the way. So at this point, I’d like to consider myself an expert in long-term rentals with Airbnb!

In this guide, I will share with you my methods of finding the perfect place and the exact messages that I send to hosts in order to score a great deal.

Why Rent Long-Term with Airbnb?

Remember when I said renting long-term on Airbnb can actually be more cost effective than renting long-term in Canada or the United States? Let’s talk about that for a second.

Take Toronto for example. A one-bedroom apartment can cost upwards of $1200 per month with a one-year lease. But with Airbnb, I can book an apartment almost anywhere in the world for less than $1000 per month. Just take my guide on How to Live in Europe for Under $1000 a Month as an example.

One of the great things about Airbnb is that the longer you choose to stay, the cheaper the apartment will be. Most apartments have a nightly, weekly, and monthly rate posted on the listing. And in my experience, most hosts are willing to provide even further discounts on those monthly rates! If you’re wondering how to ask for a special offer, I’ve included the exact message that I send to hosts down below.

Another reason why I love using Airbnb for long-term rentals is that the price is all-inclusive. The amount that I pay includes all service fees, utilities, and bills. I’m never stuck paying extra at the end of the month for the air conditioning usage, the internet, or parking fees.

And if you still need more convincing, here are some of the other reasons I love using Airbnb for monthly rentals:

1. Options. When you want to rent an apartment through Airbnb, you have a lot of options to choose from! You can scroll through hundreds of apartments, all of which include photos, amenities and -

2. Reviews. The Airbnb community is a wonderful and honest place. One of my favorite features of the site is that I can read detailed reviews from past guests. This helps me determine if the apartment listing is accurate and if it will meet my needs.

3. Insurance. You can rest assured knowing that if something goes wrong at the apartment, Airbnb is there to help you. Take my experience last year as an example. I rented an apartment in Bucharest and after two days, I found cockroaches in the bathroom. I called Airbnb, explained the issue and I was sent to a different (and much nicer) apartment that same day.

Don’t let that story deter you from renting an apartment though. I’ve stayed in over 30 Airbnb properties and that has been my only bad experience. So, if you’ve decided that you want to do a long-term Airbnb rental, here’s what you need to do.

1. Sign up for Airbnb

The very first step is to actually make an Airbnb account.

It’s totally free to sign up for Airbnb and the process should only take you a couple of minutes. Once you create a login, you should fill out your profile with all of the required information. Although it’s not mandatory, you should definitely upload a profile picture and verify at least one piece of ID before you begin messaging any hosts for a long-term rental. Many like to see that you are a real and reliable person!

Once your profile is all filled out, you’re ready to start searching!

2. Start a Sublet Search

Head to www.airbnb.com/sublets and conduct a search based on your qualifications. Enter your destination, dates, and number of guests. Filter the results by toggling to your preferred price range and selecting all of the necessary amenities.

Don’t forget the amenities!

If you want an apartment with Wi-Fi, free parking, or a washing machine, be sure to select those specific amenities. Be a little mindful though, as the more amenities you select, the fewer options you’ll have. Some properties may not properly list all of their amenities. I need a laptop-friendly workspace and notice many apartments do not show this amenity, although the photos show otherwise.

3. Organize Your Options

Now, you should be left with a list/map of all the apartments that meet your requirements. And it’s time for you to find the best ones.

Start opening up your options in new tabs, carefully read the description of each one, look at all of the photos and find out if there are any unusual house rules. Make sure that you read all of the reviews from past guests.

Keep your eyes peeled for any red flags! If any guests say that the apartment they stayed at wasn’t the same as the photos or that the host was difficult to get ahold of, be weary.

You might want to save all of your favorite options to an Airbnb Wishlist. That way, you can easily send them to your travel partner or refer to them at a later time.

4. Message the Hosts

Once you have a list of apartments that meet your criteria, you can start to message the hosts. Some people like to message one host at a time, but I prefer to message all of the options at once, so I can compare the discounts and overall value. When you send the host a message, be sure to tell them a little bit about yourself, the reason for your visit, and why you chose their apartment.

My message usually looks something like this:

Hi [Host Name],

My name is [Name] and this upcoming [Month], my boyfriend and I will be visiting [City] for 1 month to explore the city and live like locals!

We found your apartment on Airbnb, and it looks absolutely perfect for us. I especially like the design and location.

Can you please let me know the best possible price for a one-month rental during [Month]?

A little bit about us: we are both very quiet, non-smokers who work from our computers. As you can see from the past reviews, we take pride in keeping our apartment rentals very clean. And I can promise you we will treat your place like it’s our home!

If there is any other information you need from me, please let me know. I would love to stay at your apartment during my time in [City]!

Thank you so much [Host Name]. I look forward to hearing from you soon! 

So far, this message has worked very well and I always end up receiving a special offer on the monthly rate. Of course, make sure you switch the information so that it is relevant to your specific trip.

5. Do a Cost Comparison

As you begin receiving replies from the hosts, you should keep track of the prices and discounts that you receive. I usually create a document with the name of each apartment, its redeeming qualities, the original price, and the discount. That way, once you’ve heard back from all of the hosts, you can review all of this information in order to make your final decision.

You might not necessarily want to stay at the cheapest apartment, so take everything into consideration. Remember that you will be living in this apartment for one month (or maybe longer) and you want to be comfortable! Pick the option that has the overall best amenities and value for you.

If a host gets back to you without providing a discount, or if the discount is still out of your budget, don’t be afraid to let them know. You can send them a short message like this:

Hi [Host Name],

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’m really happy that the apartment is available during the requested period. But unfortunately, [total amount] is out of my budget for this trip. I was hoping to find an apartment for around [price you want].

Would you be willing to provide any further discount?

I really appreciate your help so far. Thanks again! 

Worst case scenario, they say no and you find somewhere else to stay. In the best-case scenario, the host agrees with your price and you get to stay there!

Also, keep in mind that the price set by the Airbnb host is usually a bit lower than what the guest sees on their end. That’s because the host doesn’t see the price with the Airbnb service fee included.

6. Book the Perfect Apartment

Once you find an apartment that has all of your amenities and doesn’t cost a fortune, go ahead and book it. Just make sure that you understand all of the rules behind the reservation first.

What’s the cancellation policy?

Airbnb rentals have different cancellation policies. All reservations over 30 days automatically have a long-term cancellation policy, which means that the first month is non-refundable. If you’re staying longer than one month and cancel at least 30 days in advance, you may be eligible to receive a partial refund. Read the full policy for more details.

Do you know about the payment plan? If you are booking an apartment for exactly one month, you will be charged in full at the time of booking. If you are booking an apartment for longer, you will still be charged for the first month at the time of booking and you won’t be charged for the second month until the beginning of the second month and so on for all consecutive months.

What if you need to make changes down the road? If you’re anything like me, maybe you like to book things well in advance. In this case, you might encounter some changes down the road. Like maybe you want to extend your stay another month, check in a few days earlier or check out a few days later – as long as the apartment isn’t already reserved, it’s possible. On your Airbnb homepage go to Trips, click on the one you want to change, click Change/Cancel and then you can submit a request to change the number of dates, guests, or the listing if the host has more than one.

Start Planning Your Trip!

That is my entire method for living in long-term Airbnb apartments. Even if you don’t want to pack your life up into a suitcase,  I totally recommend trying out a monthly rental on Airbnb just once. It will give you a new perspective and give you the chance to experience something totally different!

You should also check booking.com for any available rentals during your stay. Although it doesn’t specialize in long-term travel, you can sometimes find a good deal, even at a nightly rate - and you can avoid the heft service fees that Airbnb charges.

Do you have any experience renting long-term with Airbnb? Maybe a question about an upcoming trip?

Let me know in the comments down below!