Navigating the world of short-term rentals can feel like embarking on a treasure hunt. If you’ve ever dreamed of swapping your familiar surroundings for an exotic locale or a bustling city, but shuddered at the thought of lengthy leases, the exorbitant cost of a long term rental on a vacation rental site, or the constraints of hotel bookings, you’re in the right place.

Finding a short term rental is a great idea even if you’re thinking of buying in the future. Renting for a while can give you a hands-on feel for a neighborhood, which is incredibly helpful if you’re looking for a home for sale in Mexico or elsewhere in the world.

Finding a cozy, well located temporary home on the go can transform your travel experiences, offering you the comfort of home even thousands of miles away. After all, having a cozy, welcoming place to rest your head after a day of adventures is essential.

But how do you sift through the noise to find that perfect place that strikes the right balance between cost, comfort, and convenience? Fear not, intrepid explorer! We’re here to guide you through this labyrinth, equipping you with all the tools you need to secure a short-term rental that fits your style, your budget, and your itinerary.

We’ve spent countless hours, and many more cups of coffee and iced tea, diving deep into the nuances of short-term rentals. This blog post is the culmination of our discoveries, presented to you as a comprehensive guide that will make your quest for the ideal short-term rental feel less like a daunting challenge and more like an exciting part of your travel journey. So, buckle up and get ready for an adventure!

Now, let’s dive in and explore the ins and outs of finding the perfect short-term rental, whether you’re searching for apartments for rent at the beach in Miami, a condo in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, or in a small city in the Midwest.

Your next adventure awaits, and it starts with a great place to stay!

How to Find a Short Term Rental in a New City

This article aims to guide you through the process, from first identifying your budget all the way to the final leap of faith and hitting that book now button, all the while ensuring you find the perfect short-term rental for you.

Just like a longer-term rental, you might need to provide references, undergo a credit check, and pay a security deposit, cleaning fees, and the first and last month’s rent upfront. However, a short-term rental can offer you the unique opportunity to explore a neighborhood or city before committing to a long-term lease or even buying a home or vacation place.

We will admit that, depending on the location, time of year and the local housing market, short-term leases can be harder to find. Landlords often prefer the stability of year-long leases. However, don’t despair! With the right search terms such as “short term rental”, “corporate rental”, “month to month lease”, and “furnished”, you can effectively narrow down your search dramatically.

Identify Your Budget

First things first, set your budget. Conduct preliminary research to find out the going monthly rates in your desired area. Remember, short-term rentals, whether it’s for a week, a month, or six months, are often pricier than typical year-long leases due to their flexibility plus extra work and additional risk to the owners.

That said, short term rentals are usually much cheaper than per night hotel costs. That said, if you happen to need a place in the off or shoulder season for example, your dollar can go even further.

Determine Your Must-Haves

Next, decide on your non-negotiables for your new place. Do you need parking? Is outdoor parking good enough or do you need underground parking? Is an assigned parking space a deal breaker or simply a nice-to-have?

Also consider other factors such as the neighborhood you’re hoping to find and if onsite security is needed or provided. Does the rental have the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need? How about cooking and entertaining space? Do you want or need a balcony or private outdoor space? These are all things that you will need to verify in any listing. If unsure, ask.

What Amenities Do You Want?

Once your must-haves are established, identify the amenities or extras that would make your stay more enjoyable.

Laundry in your suite, a fitness center or a pool onsite can enhance your rental experience. However, depending on the rental market and your budget, you might have to compromise on some of these.

While having everything right on the property is great, you may need to decide if a gym down the street or a beach a block away are good enough alternatives. It’s always best to be flexible in this area as marking everything down as a must have can quickly limit some amazing choices.

Furnished or Unfurnished?

Unlike typical long term and yearly rentals, short-term rental places often come fully furnished, which can save you the hassle and expense of buying furniture. However, keep in mind that furnished rentals usually come with a higher price tag and often a larger security deposit.

We’ve stayed in both and while we generally look for furnished places for our short term rentals just to maximise our time exploring a new city, we have furnished two complete houses in our travels and made money on the deal. Check out our post on it here.

Where to Find a Short-Term Rental

Start your search with local classified ads, Facebook Marketplace, and local rental listings. Don’t shy away from national vacation home listings or local real estate agents. They may have the inside scoop on rentals not yet listed online.

For instance, during our last house hunt in a city with a vacancy rate of 0.2%, we had exhausted all of our regular online websites, and were honestly wondering if we needed to start looking in a different city. I decided to see if any local realtors did rentals and I finally found a local realtor, online, who had three or four places for rent. I called her up, and she had a house that had just come up for rent, but she hadn’t had time to put on her website or local listings yet. Success! It was a bit too expensive, of course, but it was in a good neighborhood and had plenty of room.

Explore options like subletting, countrywide rental listings, vacation rentals, local rental companies, real estate agents, your personal network, and listings on your job or school intranet.

Time Your Search

Most apartments don’t become available until one to two months before they’re ready for occupancy. So, start your search early, allowing plenty of time for reference checking, rental negotiations, and more.

Also, it’s always good to note that some cities have better deals and more availability in the off or shoulder season if it’s a tourist zone while university or college towns often have more availability when school isn’t in session and students move back home for the summer.

Reach Out to The Listing

Once you’ve found a place that meets your criteria, it’s time to reach out to the listing. Request additional photos if needed, verify details such as security deposits and whether utilities are included, and arrange to see the apartment in person or via a video call if possible.

But be cautious! Beware of deals that seem too good to be true, as scams are not uncommon in online apartment listings.

Tips for a Successful Search

If you can, speak with the current tenant or even one of the other tenants. They can provide valuable insights about the landlord, the neighborhood, and the apartment. If you’re unable to visit in person, ask a friend, colleague, or relative to check out the place on your behalf. Crucially, make sure to get any lease or rental agreement in writing before sending whoever is renting the place to you a deposit or any money.

Consider These Factors During Your Search

• Location (Next to a busy thoroughfare or right above a bar that’s open until 2am might hamper your sleep but provide entertainment if that’s what you seek. Up to you to decide what’s a priority.)
• Transit options (How are you getting around if you don’t have a vehicle? Train, transit, taxi, Uber? How close is each one?)
• Potential roommates (Are you sharing the flat with someone and if so, who’s name is on the lease and how are they paying for their portion? If they bail out in the last minute, do you have a backup option?)
• Access to essential services like grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies (Are they easy walking/driving distance or do you need to transfer 3 buses to get there?)
• Proximity to restaurants, clothing stores, and entertainment (Are you hoping to be in the heart of the entertainment district or are you hoping to find something away from the hustle and bustle?)

If the housing market is tight or expensive, decide on what you can compromise. Can you commute further? Can you live with a roommate instead of alone? Can you change your dates to when there’s more availability or when things are cheaper?

Finding a short-term rental in a new city can be a daunting task. However, with the right approach, you can transform this challenge into an exciting adventure. Happy hunting!

Amazingly enough to some of you, we haven’t gone on any big excursions or taken any tours yet. We’ve looked into heading to Cozumel by ferry and are planning that for the next time the sun is shining and the wind isn’t blowing. We’ve found that almost every day we’ve had one or the other.

At this point, neither of us are willing to haul the kids anywhere without the proper conditions. I think that’s where the mindset of a typical vacationer differs the greatest from ours. When you realize you only have 6 days to enjoy your hard earned vacation you want to suck every last bit of enjoyment out of it. You’ve paid for every ounce of sunshine and you’re going to spend or do whatever you have to maximize your time here.

When you’re in it for the long haul however, dropping $300 US or more for 5 or 6 hours of “amazement and wonder” seems a little steep. The funny part is that the shorter the stay, the more people are willing to spend to be entertained. “Hell Wilma, we already spent 4 grand for this vacation, what’s another grand? Besides, think of the memories we’ll be taking home with us.” (Don’t ask who the hell Wilma is or why I chose her but I think you get the idea.)

After reflecting back on our previous one or 2 week trips I realize that we’ve done it both ways on several different occasions. Sometimes we hung around the beach, pool and over-sized hotel grounds for the week and other times we’ve gone out and done everything they can throw at us. I think it all depended on how burnt out or bored we were before we left. Micki and I still talk about the time we went to Vegas for a quick 4 night fix and came home twice as tired as before we left. Though we enjoyed ourselves tremendously, Las Vegas might not have been what the doctor ordered for us right then.

And so, to get to the heart of this post, I find ourselves exactly where we need to be at this moment in time. We’re staying in a not so touristy condo in a very touristy town surrounded by activities that we could or couldn’t do and frankly not care either way. The odds are strong that we’ll back in this area at some other point in our lives and both of us feel as though we can do more activities then. For now, I’m content with lazing by the poolside and enjoying the dozens of Corona I have cooling in the fridge.

Cozumel can wait another day and swimming with those turtles in Akumal can happen next week. We’ll see the ruins and blue waters of Tulum on our way to Belize and neither of us have any desire to fight the crowds at Chichen Itza. As to the other wonders that this place offers, we’re still shopping around. Some of the caves look nice and Cole might enjoy swimming with dolphins or sharks. A few of the shows look neat and golly gee it would be nice to see some authentic Mexico at some point of this leg.

Hmm, maybe that’s the part that’s missing the most and the main reason for our reluctance to venture too much. Mexico the country seems to be missing and is being invaded by the “Zona Turística”. I might have to give some more thought to that and maybe even address it another post. Maybe Micki might have a thought or two about it as well.

In the meantime, honey, please pass me another cerveza and do you think the kids need another coat of sunblock?

When the locals say mañana more often than not they’re saying, yeah, it needs to be done and there’s a good chance it will however that time isn’t now and maybe that day will be tomorrow. It’s a way of pushing things off for another day. More than just procrastination, it’s an understanding that life happens and in the tropics it often happens at a slower pace. Maybe it’s the people or maybe it’s the fact that at midday things slow down to a crawl and a lot of people laze around to escape the afternoon heat. I think it’s a little of both but mostly it’s just the way things are out here. More of a realization that life is to be enjoyed and lived and tomorrow will be similar enough to today that it can get done then.

I sometimes wonder if the colder countries lost that sense of relaxation. We tend to spend our lives rushing around as fast as we can. I truly believe it’s because of the weather and in particular, the seasons. In the North (and most likely in the far South as well) we’re constantly reminded of what time of year it is and how we better hurry because time is quickly passing. I mean, wasn’t it just warm out and now the snow is threatening to fall? It’s like living with a giant watch telling us we need to hurry because time is slipping by. In the tropics time literally slows down because the difference in seasons isn’t so apparent. A little more sun, a little more rain and a few more storms is all they have telling them the seasons are changing. In Canada we can go from +35 to -35C in a few months. Our summers are too short and our winters too long. Out here, a handful of degrees, a little wind and rain, and life keeps on churning.

That pretty much brings me back to Playa. I think the hardest part of coming out here (besides the heat and humidity) is adjusting to the relaxed pace of life. The first day we took it easy because we were a little burnt out but by the 2nd day our wheels were turning and we felt the need to get things done. We visited the beach, the malls, 5th Ave or Quinta Avenida as it’s known out here, we swam in the pool, did some food shopping and ate in a new restaurant. By the 3rd day we felt we had done it all except for a few of the day trips to the cenotes, ruins and other major attractions. That was when we slowly realized that we’re here for at least a month and can take our time. Mañana became our friend again.

That’s pretty much how we spent days 4 and 5. It was the weekend and it was a few degrees cooler than when we got here and it seemed everywhere was buzzing with people. The locals were off work and the hordes of all inclusivers were rushing around because, well, they were all taught at a young age to enjoy the weekends and on top of that they were only here for a week or two and need to soak in as much sun and sand as they can to be able to bear the realization that by the time they headed home another winter was fast approaching.

We decided just to chill out. We watched a few movies, lounged around the house and on the patio. Made some good food, surfed the net and spent time enjoying each other’s company. We haven’t had a day like that as a family in a good while. We all enjoyed it so much we did a very similar thing the next day. It wasn’t until our 5 year old, Cole, asked us the following day if we were going to have another lazy day that Micki and I decided we should probably get back to our vacation. Mañana had become today and we felt the need to get out again.

Micki had found a playground near the beach and we decided to take the kids to it. It was actually quite nice and the kids enjoyed themselves. It was a very sunny day though and a little too hot on some of those slides so we’ve decided we’ll only go there early, late or on cloudy days. After that we went for a long walk along the beach. We had brought the kid’s swim suits but they were still in shorts and t-shirts at that point. To put it simply, never ask a child not to get wet when they walk along the water. I don’t think it can get done. Both kids actually walked home in their swim gear because their other clothes were soaked. They had a good time though and Micki and I had more than a few good laughs.

Oh yeah, a word to the wise, never tell a child that has to tinkle to go in the ocean without them knowing it’s supposed to be done on the sly. Having your son pull down his pants while standing on the beach and peeing in the ocean will get more than a few raised eyebrows. I still need to explain it to him but maybe I’ll do it mañana, I mean, it was pretty funny.

I think today we’ll head to the beach again and that’s where I’ll leave you all. Hope the weather back home stays nice as long as possible and that you all take a little time to enjoy the little things. After all, mañana is only a day away.

To be completely honest, Micki and I only realized how crazy our previous week was as we landed in Cancun. What’s weird is that after having traveled for years together, when we walked out of the airport we were a little surprised to find ourselves in a foreign land. It all happened so fast that we weren’t prepared for the reality that this was going to be our life for the next 6 months.

Now many of you may laugh at the thought of a place like the Mayan Riviera being considered foreign, with its miles of white beaches and dozens of outrageous All-Inclusive adult playgrounds and, for the most par,t I’d be the first to scoff. However, unlike most people who come here, we’re not getting off the plane only to be scuttled to the free shuttle to begin our week (or two for the more fiscally strong) of beer guzzling, margarita swilling, beach chair hogging, overpriced, pampered, adventure guide following stay at a beautiful resort.

We all know (and admittedly I also love) those quickie vacations that rejuvenate our soul and make staying the winter in Canada somewhat bearable. For us though, that walk into humidity represented the first steps into a 6 month adventure that, admittedly, we spent less time planning than some of our overpriced last minute resort experiences. Sure, we’ve glazed over plenty of guidebooks about what to do and where to go but with 2 young kids, a contract quickly ending and that first line of this post to deal with we really haven’t mapped out our travels that much.

Once we walked through the green light go, red light please bend over, welcoming into Mexico we were on our own. So do we jump on a bus, take a taxi or take a mini shuttle? Will they drop us off at the condo we rented or will we have to walk or take a taxi once we get to Playa? (Playa is about 45 minutes south of the Cancun airport.) How much is it for each? How much is it worth it for us to be pampered a little after a 4 AM wake up call, a 5 AM entrance to the Calgary airport, over 4 hours flight to Houston with a 2 hour layover and then another couple hours to our destination with 2 small children in tow?

It will only cost us $65 US to take a taxi that will drop us off at the condo without much fuss (provided the taxi driver doesn’t try to scam us last minute) but nope, not good enough. That $45 extra buys us more than a few rounds of Coronas and you don’t go travelling for 6 months starting off that way. In the end we finally go the nice aircon bus route. Direct service to Playa for $20 all in. Cole should have cost us more but I gave the guy at the counter my best “please give me a deal smile” and he relented.

So within minutes we were aboard the nice shuttle bus and zigzagging our way to the next unknown. Namely, where the hell are we being dropped off and should we attempt to walk it to the condo or jump in the nearest taxi. Seeing that we were all nearly spent we grabbed the closest taxi to the door.

Small travel tip. The proportion of people trying to make a fast dollar from unsuspecting travellers is directly related to their proximity to the nearest airport, bus or ferry terminal. In short, if the guy asking you if you need a ride is first in line once you get out of afore mentioned area, the higher the odds that he’ll charge you double what the next guy would offer.

To that end, our driver charged us 50% more than the going rate but, at that point, I was fine with it. No, I didn’t let my guard down but it costs $2 US for all in town trips in Playa and seeing that he almost broke his back loading and unloading our luggage I thought I’d let him have his $3. What can I say, I’m a sucker for that “I have 8 wives, 40 children, 5 jobs and only days to live” haunted look most 3rd world foreign taxi drivers seem to pervade.

Anyway, we finally made it to stage one of this little post. The condo is a half decent size and in good shape and, best of all, the people all around us are great. There’s a nice pool literally 8 feet from our balcony and Cole has half a dozen Spanish speaking girls constantly chasing him. There’s the towns biggest food market literally a block away and tons of Italian eateries all around us.

Yup, you read that right, here we go all the way to Mexico only to be surrounded by Italians. The area we’re in is known to many as Little Italy. Seems there’s a large influx of Italian people making their way here.

In truth, Micki and I knew this beforehand. It was actually one of the many reasons we chose this area. In case any of you didn’t know, Mexican and Italian cuisine are our faves. After starving ourselves in the Philippines a few years ago we were starting this trip knowing that good food was only doors away. Tonight Micki made homemade bean burritos and salsa. Of course that was washed down with a few Coronas.

Yup, Playa has welcomed us with open arms and after spending the afternoon floating around in it’s crystal clear ocean and white sand beaches, we’re ready to start enjoying all it has to offer.

I’ll talk more about our place, the local dialect (too much Italian and damn, I need to learn better Spanish quickly), the food and the people in my next post.

Safe travels everyone,

Charles