Are you looking for tips on long term rentals on Airbnb? Airbnb has been around for a while now but there are still some tricks to finding the best possible accommodation. Since its start, Airbnb has seen quite a transformation from a room sharing service to a fully operational rental alternative. Airbnb is now available all over the world with countless different options for accommodations. As a full time traveler, I have stayed in my fair share of Airbnbs, many of which have been considered long term. I hope that you find these tips useful for finding your next long term rentals on Airbnb.
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Why Book A Long Term Rental with Airbnb?
Airbnb has become my saving grace during the majority of my travels. As a travel blogger, you can imagine that I travel fairly often. I pretty much always stay in an Airbnb nowadays over a hotel. They are usually much more enjoyable and provide more of an experience over a hotel. But what about long term?
You can actually save quite a bit of money booking a long term rental rather than just a weekend or week trip. It depends on each individual listing, but sometimes you can even save as much as 50% off of the original rental price. Normally you can expect to save anywhere between 15%-35% on a long term stay. Who doesn’t love saving money?
My Top Tips for Finding the Best Airbnb Long Term Rentals for the Best Price
1. Create an Airbnb Account
Obviously, in order to rent on Airbnb you will need to have an account. That pretty much goes without saying. Creating an Airbnb account is super simple. You can use my referral code here to sign up for Airbnb. By using my referral code, you will save $50 on your first stay and get a $15 credit towards an Airbnb experience.
From there you’ll be taken through the usual steps to verify your identity and get all set up for booking an Airbnb stay. When you first start out on Airbnb, you won’t have any ratings or reviews which can sometimes (albeit rarely) limit your options for Airbnbs. As time goes on and you have more Airbnb stays, you will get more reviews and ratings which can help secure that you get the best choices.
2. Begin your Search
Now you can start to look for you rental on Airbnb. Once you’ve decided where in the world you want to go, you can enter all the information needed into the search query on Airbnb. If you have a very specific type of rental in mind, you can really narrow down your search. You can choose whether or not you want an apartment, single family home, cabin, beach house, and everything in between. Some of the most enjoyable Airbnb stays are an interesting home like a yurt or a tiny home.
You can save a lot of time by narrowing down your search to the exact number of bedrooms and bathrooms you’ll need. Also, if you fill out specifics that can be very helpful as well. You can specify whether or not you want a pool, hot tub, games, wifi, or even a gym. You name it. The more you can narrow down your search, the more time you can save yourself.
Pro Tip: Leave the Check In and Check Out dates empty to see all of your options. When you find a rental that you truly love, you can check on when it is available. I’ll explain more next!
3. Flexibility is Key!
In my experience, the key to getting the absolute best airbnb long term rentals is to have a flexible schedule. Now I know that is not always possible for everyone due to other commitments. But if you can, BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR DATES! Let me explain.
Airbnb is setup for both short term and long term rentals, with short term being the most popular. There are many situations where a rental may not be available from the first of the month to the end of the month. But that same place might open up the fifth of the month to the fifth of the next month. This is why I never suggest entering any dates for your stay during your initial search.
I always find that it is best to make a list of possible places you would be interested in renting, then looking at what dates are available. Be aware that prices change depending on when you are looking to rent. During the high season of a location, you can expect to pay higher prices. Adversely, booking during the slow season can be a great way to save some money if you do not care about when you book.
4. Message the Host
Once you’ve found the Airbnb that you want to book, I always suggest messaging the host before you try to book. It’s always nice to start a friendly conversation introducing yourself and giving a little information about your intended stay. This helps to create a better relationship with your host. During this initial conversation, it is nice to let the host know your expectations for what you are trying to get out of your stay.
Very often, if you openly discuss things with your Airbnb host they will often be more willing to work with you on getting the best price. Now I’m not saying to come into the conversation directly asking for a discount, but be willing to have a small discussion about options. Many times Airbnb hosts will be thrilled to have long term rental stay because that is less time they need to worry about trying to fill that rental. With that said, many hosts will be willing to offer an additional discount if you discuss the details of your trip with them.
Be aware that this not a steadfast rule and you should never be rude to an Airbnb host if they choose not to give an additional discount. If they have a rental that is in very high demand, they will likely not be interested in offering a discount. Even so, you can still book without the additional discount. Always be kind and gracious to your host. They are opening up their home to you and deserve to be treated with kindness and respect even though this is a business.
5. Book Early!
Again, this is not always a possibility for everyone. But if you can book your stay as far ahead as possible, you can be sure to have the best pick and get the best price. I personally always try to book my long term rentals at least three months in advance. This is especially important if you are booking a stay around any of the main holidays, as Airbnbs book up very quickly for these events.
Also, once you have found your Airbnb do no wait to book it. You never know how many other people are looking at the same place just waiting to book it as well. This is very important with airbnb long term rentals because someone might book for just a few days of your stay and then that if no longer even an option. Which has definitely happened to me before. So take my word for it, book as soon as you can!
6. Enjoy your Airbnb long term rentals
During your stay, always remember that although you are paying money, you are in someone else’s home. Always be respectful of the property and try to take care of everything as if it was your own. This will increase your ratings on Airbnb and allow for you to always have the best options to choose from. If things get damaged or you are rude guest, that will be mentioned during your review which could affect whether or not you’ll get accepted for another stay in the future at a different rental. And remember to enjoy yourself!
Conclusion
So there you have it. My best tips for Airbnb long term rental. I have stayed at over two dozen Airbnbs over the past several years, many of which have been long term. All of these tips have worked very well for me over the years and I hope they work for you too. The flexibility that Airbnb offers is something that is wonderfully unique to this specific moment in time. Never before has it been so easily accessible and affordable for someone like me to stay all over the world in the comfort of my own rented home. It is truly life changing for the travel industry. I always feel so inspired by my travels and the small home touches that are found in each of my stays. It’s amazing to see what is important to different people all over the world. I feel truly blessed to get to share my experiences and knowledge of travel with you.
Thank you all for checking out these tips for Airbnb long term rentals. If you enjoyed this content, be sure to follow me on social media and sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on all my latest content. You can also find my previous post here.
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