Want to quickly and consistently make an extra income? Rent out your home, or your investment property! The question that often comes to the table is: “Which is more profitable – Short term rental, or Long term rental?” Does the length of rental commitment matter to overall income? Wouldn’t a long-term renter mean less stress? Won’t there be a shortage of short term renters because of availability, seasonal fluctuations, etc.? How can you learn the pros and cons for each rental style? Let’s have a chat, shall we?

A Common Misconception

To uncover the facts, you must look at these two options below the surface. Financially and economical focus is essential. On the surface, long term rental seems more sound. It also seems like a whole lot less work. You are bringing in one client, estimating a rental time of 5 years on average, so the idea is that you will bring in more money. Hmmm, why is this a misconception? Let’s look a little deeper into Short Term Rental to uncover the answer.

Short Term Rental – The New Normal

A short term rental is classified as a rental occupied by a single client for 6 months or less. A short term lease is especially beneficial to traveling business clients and vacationers. Short term rentals are becoming the norm – the days of a hotel as the only away-from-home option are long gone!  The quiet atmosphere and comfort of a home over the stress of a hotel can’t be beat. With today’s open source traveling websites like AirBNB, people worldwide who are looking for a place to stay for the summer, winter, or any other short holiday, can easily find short term rental options.

Financial Benefits of Short Term Rental Uncovered

So, using your property as a short term rental as opposed to a long term rental usually IS more profitable! Why? First, owners can charge a higher nightly rate (translating to a higher monthly rate) than they would with a long term rental. It is likely that a single 3-day weekend could bring in the equivilent of an entire month’s rent in the ‘in season’ in any given city. Renting property can be compared to shopping at Costco: a customer who buys nights in bulk gets a discount, ( as in a 2 -year tenant ) but a customer who buys only a few nights, ( the short term renter ) pays a higher price. The long-term tenant will expect a lower monthly rent charge because he is committing. He is offering a sense of security to the property owners. A tenant who is renting a home for the summer, however, will pay more for the same exact property. He is paying for comfort, convenience and atmosphere, and because it’s short term, it’s only making a dent in his pocket. Additionally, if rent prices are on the rise in the economy, short term rentals can charge a higher rent price with each new lease. All these factors added together insure that the short term rental provides the homeowner with the highest income potential.

So then, back to our initial question: Want to quickly and consistently make an extra income? It looks like Short Term Rental is the way to go!