Traveling, relocating, in-between jobs or permanent homes, there may come a time when you need to find short-term housing of some kind.
As someone who’s been in all of these situations at one point or another, I’ve gotten pretty good at finding places to live short-term and on a budget.
Airbnb
We all knew this one would be first, right?
Airbnb is not without its pretty severe weaknesses. I’ve had more than a couple bad experiences. Dirty or under-equipped homes, rude or nosy hosts, even straight up scams have all been known to happen with Airbnb. It has turned into more of a luxury get-away type site, instead of a place to find affordable accommodations for you and your family.
However, there is still plenty of opportunity to find what you’re looking for. If you’re a solo traveler, for example, don’t discount the “private rooms” option. They will be significantly cheaper than an entire place. A lot of listings will also have a “weekly” or “monthly” discount for the long-term visitor. If traveling with friends, splitting the cost of an Airbnb can be very economical.
VRBO
I actually have come to prefer VRBO over Airbnb in many cases. There are often cheaper, even if only slightly, options.
I haven’t used it as many times as its competitor yet, but so far I’ve not been disappointed. I have not experienced the same issues on VRBO as I had on Airbnb, which is why I’ll often check it first now. But I always recommend to shop around for the best deal.
Roomies.com
This is a new one for me, and I’ve only used it once. It’s not ideal if you’re truly looking to stay somewhere for a month or so, but if you’re looking for a roommate or a long-term room, it’s a great place to look.
You can either look at postings from people looking to fill a room in their house, or team up with another searcher and sign an apartment lease.
I found my last roommate on this site before marrying and moving in with my husband. I got a great deal with a lovely woman, and we were able to work out a month-to-month lease. Not everyone will be so flexible, but it’s a great option to check out.
HelloLanding
Another site I’ve only used once, and it may not be the most economical. It comes with a sign-up fee, at least when I first signed up a few years ago, and tends to be fairly pricey. I could only afford a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with four other friends. It also requires at least a one-month lease if I recall correctly.
However, it was incredibly clean, in a very safe area, and we were more than comfortable. I look back at that time fondly.
FurnishedFinder
I’m currently writing this from a Furnished Finder! This may have become on of my top recommendations. Though it’s a little harder to book than some of the other options listed, it has many upsides.
It’s designed for long-term stays. The site is marketed towards traveling nurses, but there is no requirement to be one to book a place.
You use the site to find a location and then get in contact with the owner. You arrange a deal independently of Furnished Finders. There are no taxes or booking and cleaning fees. There is a flat rent which usually includes utilities as well. It requires a little more elbow grease to find something that is actually available, as the site seems a little wonky and not every listing is actually correct in their listed availability.
While often full of scams, you can find rooms and roommates here. Search for and join groups in the area you’re looking to stay in, and look for people with rooms to fill. You can also make a post yourself and people will reach out with information. You can also use Facebook Marketplace, though I’ve had limited success there and as mentioned before, watch out for scams.
Finding affordable short-term housing, or just sort-term housing, can be tricky and stressful. Next time you need a place to stay, I hope this list comes in handy to take off some of that stress.
There are options here for short-term stays and long-term stays, with a group of solo, with a range of prices. If you have any of your own favorite sites, or have experiences with the ones listed here, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Look around and see what works best for you!