How do I find Short Term Rentals?

Short Term Rentals can be challenging as individuals are often searching for units with criteria that are sensible, but are sometimes at odds with one another.   

For many, the most important thing is that it does not require a full 12 month lease term, and may be easier to get approval for than a conventional full term lease.

Typically also want places that...

• offer more privacy than a hostel.  (Rules many hostels out.)
• are cleaner than a typical "transient hotel" (Rules many cheap hotels out.)
• are better for bookings beyond a few days or just a couple weeks than airBNB.  (Rules out many many airBNB listings unless you're ok jumping from accommodation to accomodation.)
• offer more secure space than a room share (Rules out out room shares.)
• are furnished (Rules out many otherwise decently priced rental listings.)
• are pet friendly (Rules out some apartments and many hotels and airBNBs.)
• doesn't have sudden or hidden fees at the check out (Rules out airBNBs and most hotels.)
• offer more flexibility than a year long lease  (Rules out most listings that can be found through an agent.)

 
I won't lie.  Combining all of these factors aren't easy...   They require an agent who is capable of networking and thinking outside the box.  

For example, it is true that short term furnished apartments appear on the MLS.   On the other hand, they're rare.  Likewise, an agent should understand that if a client were to want to book a room at a hotel or an airBNB, the person certainly wouldn't be asking to a real estate agent to book it.   

So as an agent I have to think about what kind of value I can offer to my client, and I believe there are three:

• I have to be more resourceful they can
• I have to be able to leverage deals in a way that they can't
• I have to be able to negotiate in a way that they can't

If I can do this, then I'm offering my clients a value added service.

In the end here are three things I don't do:

• Spend three seconds looking on the MLS, then telling my clients nothing is available that meets their budget
• Simply act like a travel agent and book a hotel on their behalf 
• Throw them to the wolves using questionable listing resources

In the end, I won't lie... finding short term rentals that meet the specific needs of specific clients isn't easy, but it's a chance to show off my professional chops and the good news is that when you're using a professional agent, you shouldn't ever be charged a fee for "searching":  fees are for when deals go through. 

Please feel free to contact me today if you'd like me to perform a no-obligation search and see what I can do for you.