Thinking about living in AirBnbs full time. Has anyone stayed in short term rentals long term?

I really would like to spend the next few years traveling all across the world. I also like the idea of "slow travel" to explore places at my own pace and learn what life is like as a local of the destinations I would visit.

One solution I thought of was to live out of Airbnb full-time.

I feel like the pros may outweigh the cons.

Pros:

-Visit new places on a month-to-month basis.
-Fully furnished living space with utilities included.
-Not locked into a lease.
-Discounted rates for booking monthly.
-Can visit different places each month or stay for more months if I wanted.
-Can be centrally located close to specific places (depending on monthly budget)

Cons:

-Higher daily cost of living than renters and homeowners than if I were to have a lease or mortgage in the locations I visit.
-Airbnb locations might not be the same quality as they are in pictures.
-Locked into a month-long commitment/booking and might lose money if decide to leave early or don't like the location.
- Basically renting, so I'm losing money I will never get back in the form of equity if I was to buy a home.

Considering where I live it costs around $2,000/M to live in my small hometown, I don't see much risk in taking this place and running with it.

I am curious to know what others here think about living in short-term rentals and what your experiences have been like living and slow traveling to places around the world.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Airbnb is expensive. Especially if you're going long-term.
    Look up monthly rental listings in each city you're planning to visit and you will see prices that are usually more than half cheaper than what airbnb would ask.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >monthly rental listings
      Are there any good resources you know about that list monthly rentals? Any particular platforms that you would recommend where landlords share monthly rentals to browse online?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Not him but Airbnb is going to be your best option, the paperwork often needed for a lease has been moved to Airbnb vbro etc. There are alternatives but IMO best to go through a third party for the security of payments and access to bank card #'s.

        I live in Eastern CT, it is expensive to live here.

        I could live in most major cities in the US for the same cost as my town here in CT. Inflation has caused my area's cost of living to skyrocket.

        >I could live in most major cities in the US for the same cost as my town here in CT
        literally tunnel visioned. 2k/mo would be a 2 or 3 br apartment in Oklahoma City

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Considering where I live it costs around $2,000/M to live in my small hometown
    Please tell me this is monopoly money like CAD or AUS.You're getting taken otherwise or this "small home town" is like Orange county in Cali.

    It's probably your best option to do abroad for the most part, unless you have some local credentials or can find a decent short term lease that won't charge you out the ass for collateral. The time investment for doing a month to month lease being a foreigner can seriously be not worth the investment in time+one time use things. I have done airbnb long terms while living abroad and know others who have. Just shop around, book early and look for discounts for long term stays, they aren't too hard to find.

    Best advice is if you do month long stays in Airbnb's TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING WHEN YOU CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT. It's an easy gotcha for the hosts to pin damages or collect the insurance on you for shit they just never replaced or fixed because "you were there for a month you caused it!" argument.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I live in Eastern CT, it is expensive to live here.

      I could live in most major cities in the US for the same cost as my town here in CT. Inflation has caused my area's cost of living to skyrocket.

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Just as a heads up, there is a company that does short-term rentals for furnished apartments where you can move around. Might find some cheaper rates and deals there.

    It is called Landing, hellolanding.com

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >U.S only
      >barely related to the OP

      Hello shill

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I've done this for the past 4 years.
    It is not more expensive then renting, if you're smart. Feel free to ask me anything.
    I've lived in airbnb's in Thailand, Los Angeles, CDMX, Tulum, Berlin, Paris, Marseille, London & Naples.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I feel that when you add in the costs of utilities, security, renters insurance and furniture. Paying a bit extra to live in someone else's home/apartment is roughly the same.

      That's why I feel it might be the best option for someone who wishes to travel and have flexibility when they wish to visit places.

      Like I could try to move somewhere and live there for a year and be locked into a lease and everything else that it includes or just use Airbnbs.

      Another plus is credit checks and income reports are not needed to get a place to stay on Airbnb.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Airbnb is your safest bet at the end of the day. In terms of all the paperwork needed such as pointed out, you at least are walled off from obvious scammers since airbnb customer support(even if it's slow shit) still can often lean in your favor if you have pictures of stuff. It's also easier to book in advance instead of guess work of what you need to stay or where you end up staying.

        You pay slightly more but have security+ease of booking

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      What are some ways you are able to beat the typical rent of an area you travel to?

      Are you negotiating to get better rates, any tips on what you look for when selecting your location to live at when booking a rental?

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The longest i've stayed on an airbnb has been two weeks, but i've seen airbnbs have as much as 60% off on long-term stays, of course you have to check the amenities and what's included, my personal advice is that you should prioritize stuff as a laundry and kitchen, fast internet is not really a dealbreaker unless you do remote work, and if you don't trust the host, you can get a cheap hotspot or even use your phone with a prepaid sim
    One of the advantages (And problems) of long stays is that you're going to pay close to normal rent prices but have a fully furnished place, and like you mentioned, if you don't like the place or it's not what you saw in the images, although you can get a refund, last-minute rentals are expensive as frick (You could also reserve two places, the second one three-five days after the first and with free cancellation in case you want/have to move, and just sleep in a hotel for as long as you need)

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I did FurnishedFinder this year for a month and had a good experience. It was cheaper than Airbnb

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    AirBnB for long term travel use to be a good option. The site has gone down the shitter in the last 3-4 years and its often cheaper just to stay in a hotel now. Some hotels specifically cater to this crowd now and offer full suites that include bedrooms, kitchenettes, couch, etc.

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