What Are Long-Term Rentals?

Long-term rentals are apartments or houses that can be rented for a month or longer with full amenities.
There are two kinds of long-term rentals. Monthly rentals are vacation rentals that can be booked for a month or longer with top facilities, comfort, and monthly discounts.
Extended stay hotels, commonly found in the USA, have separate living areas and kitchenettes and in-room amenities and hotel facilities.

Benefits of Long-Term Rentals

Long-term rentals are best for exploring a destination—you can take your time and experience the culture and history of the place.
They also have the comforts of home, kitchens, and laundry facilities for extended stays.
Long-term rentals have on-site parking and housekeeping.
Despite the high fees, long-term rentals can be budget-friendly thanks to monthly discounts and all the amenities and services included.

Typical amenities in long-term rentals include a kitchen with dishes, cookware, and equipment.
Monthly rentals have private laundry facilities, extended stay hotels have laundry services or coin laundry facilities.
On-site parking is available.
Safety features like keyless entry, smoke alarms, video surveillance, and security personnel are in place.
Free and secure Wi-Fi is available in most hotels and vacation rentals.
TVs with movies, shows, and live sports are available in most hotels and monthly rentals.
Workspaces, in-room work desks, or separate rooms with laptop-friendly desks, printers, computers, or other equipment are found in hotel accommodations and monthly rentals for remote work.
Extended-stay hotels have conference or meeting rooms with sound systems, ergonomic chairs, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi perfect for business meetings and conventions.
Monthly rentals and extended-stay hotel rooms have storage facilities like wardrobes and storage lockers to keep your belongings safe and organized.
Family-friendly amenities like cots, high chairs, books, games, and toys for kids are available in some long-term rentals especially those that cater to families with infants.

Recreational amenities in long-term rentals may include swimming pools, fitness centers, pet-friendly facilities, outdoor dining and seating areas, game rooms, kids clubs, and tennis courts.
Some long-term rentals have private pools, others have communal pools so you can take a dip every day.
Fitness centers are common in extended-stay hotels but less common in vacation rentals although some may have exercise rooms or equipment.
Pet-friendly long-term rentals often have amenities like dog bowls, pet blankets, and fenced backyards.
Outdoor amenities like BBQ areas, fire pits, and outdoor games are available in some monthly rentals.
Game rooms with indoor games like arcade games, ping pon,g and foosball are available in select upscale monthly rentals; outdoor games like cornhole or bocce ball may also be provided.

Services in long-term rentals include housekeeping, dry cleaning or laundry services, and babysitting.
Housekeeping can be daily or weekly depending on the rental.
Laundry services are available in extended-stay hotels but can also be found in monthly rentals.
Babysitting is available in select extended-stay hotels for a fee; hosts of monthly rentals can recommend babysitters.
Extended-stay hotels often offer free or surcharged breakfast to get you started for the day.
Some offer shuttle services, airport transfers, and area shuttles for those without a car.

Long-term rentals are for all types of travelers, families, couples, working professionals, and solo travelers.
Families can find rentals that suit their needs, with rentals for toddlers or pets
Couples can find one-bedroom monthly rentals for romantic getaways.
Working professionals and solo travelers can book both monthly rentals and extended-stay hotels.

When choosing long-term rental consider location, proximity to the city center or workplace and connectivity, and easy access to public transportation and services.
Child and pet policy should also be considered; accommodations with kid-friendly amenities and pet-friendly services are good for families and pet owners.
Accessibility is also important. Most extended-stay hotels have accessibility features, but monthly rentals may vary. Always check with hosts.