Are you traveling for business soon? Are you staying in one place for a few days or more? If so, you’re going to need to find short term housing.
The question you have is: how do you go about doing so? Finding short-term housing isn’t always easy, but it’s most certainly possible. Below, we’re going to get into the specifics of finding short-term housing, helping you find the ideal spot for your business trip.
Working it Out With Your Company
When trying to find short-term housing for business trips, you will probably have to work out the details with the company for which you work. Different companies have different policies but most abide by the following.
Having the Company Choose Housing for You
In some cases, the company won’t even give the employee an option. They’ll find the housing and require the employee to stay in it.
While this might seem restrictive, it also has some benefits. For one, you won’t have to worry about signing a lease. Considering how hard it is to find a 1 to 3-month lease, this is a big upside.
You might also see some cost savings. After all, if your company is forcing you to stay in a specific apartment, they probably aren’t going to force you to pay the full cost.
Choosing Your Own Housing
While some companies choose short-term housing for their employees, others allow their employees to make the choice. Generally speaking, when this is done, the employee is given a weekly is stipend to spend on rent (or whatever else he or she wants to spend it on).
There are some very obvious upsides to getting to choose your own housing. For one, you get to dictate the price. If you want to stay in a low-cost basement apartment, you can.
For two, you get to decide on the location. Wanting to stay in the bohemian neighborhood with all the restaurants, bars, and shops. You’ll be free to do so.
Where Can You Find Short Term Housing?
Let’s say that you’re responsible for finding your own housing. The question remains: where exactly are you supposed to find a 1, 2, or 3-month lease? There are a few places to look, including the following.
Airbnb
One of the first places to look for short-term housing is Airbnb. If you look early enough, you might be able to book a full month or two at a residence.
Note, however, that some Airbnb hosters might not allow this. Not to mention, paying full-price every day for a month or two can get very expensive.
For this reason, you should keep an eye out for month-stay discounts. Some hosters will provide these discounts in exchange for the assurance of money.
Owner Direct
Owner Direct is similar to Airbnb. You’ll search for accommodations by designating the number of bedrooms you need, the number of bathrooms you prefer, the length and date of your stay, and other such characteristics. Then, it will show you all of the rooms that are available to you.
While it’s best for days or weeks-long stays, you might be able to find something longer as well. If Airbnb isn’t turning anything up, it’s worth a go.
Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO)
Another option is to use Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO), a site that specializes in vacation rentals. While this site won’t have rentals available in every area, it will generally cover the larger metropolitan areas.
Just as with Airbnb, when using VRBO, you correspond directly with the owner of the rental property. While most individuals use the site for week-vacation rentals, you might be able to work out something a little longer. At the very least, it’s worth a try.
Craigslist
Another site on which you can find short-term housing is Craiglist. All you have to do is search for housing in the area in which you’ll be staying, and you’ll have tons of options to choose from.
That said, the best way to find short-term housing on Craigslist is by searching the “sublets and temporary housing” tab. This page is specifically catered to those who only need housing for a month or two.
Note, however, that Craigslist can be shady. Because anyone can post there, it’s ripe for scams and spam. As such, when searching for housing on the site, you need to be careful.
First, make sure that there are several pictures of the residence. Next, make sure that the description of the property is written naturally. If it’s filled with exclamation points and capitalized letters, it’s probably not a legitimate ad.
If you find a place that you think you might like, you should contact the subleaser. Upon calling, you should get his or her contact information and talk on the phone. Once you have, you should meet up with the individual to discuss the property.
Never, under any circumstances, send money online. If a subleaser is asking you to send money online, he or she could very well be a scammer.
Hotels
While it’s not true of them all, some hotels allow guests to stay over extended periods of time at discounted prices. If you’re not having any luck with Craigslist, Airbnb, or other such sites, this is an option you should consider.
Of course, you could also pay the nightly fee at a standard hotel. However, over the course of a month or two, this is bound to cost you substantial amounts of money.
Corporate Apartments
One last option is to book a corporate apartment. These apartments are specifically designed to accommodate business travelers on short stays. Learn more details about corporate apartments now!
Looking for More Business Travel Advice?
If you’re in need of short term housing, the information above should be of great use to you. Regardless of where you’re staying, it should help you to find appropriate lodging.
Looking for more business travel advice? You can find it right here at our website. Browse our other articles now!
