Current booking trends suggest that property managers can find big potential by shifting towards mid-term rentals and adjusting their pricing models to better fit new regulations and market demands.
The vacation rental industry is going through a lot of change. First, coronavirus shook up the whole scene, causing mass cancellations, and an unprecedented drop in bookings, followed by an increase in domestic travel.
More recently, in Barcelona and many other cities around Europe and the rest of the world, new restrictions on short-term rental (STR) businesses are causing many vacation rental property managers to shift strategies. But what is a mid term rental anyway? And how can I use them to get more bookings?
Let’s take a look.
What is a mid term rental?
Mid-term rentals are categorized as any stay of more than 30 days, but generally less than six months, this again depending on local restrictions and legislations for each city and depending on the country.
Guests who book mid-term are typically not travelers. They are individuals or families who live in, or close to your destination and need a temporary place to stay.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, the mid-term rental demographic has expanded. Remote workers, digital nomads, relocating professionals, and students are now driving a steady rise in demand.
This shift presents new opportunities for property managers looking to diversify their strategy and secure consistent occupancy—especially in an evolving regulatory and travel landscape.
Current trends show that now is a good time to start targeting guests who are looking to book stays of 30 days or longer, and there are lots of benefits to using them as part of your vacation rental marketing strategy.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of switching to longer stays and of course, how to market your properties as mid-term rentals, how to adjust your pricing and which bookings sites to get listed on.
Why consider shifting to mid-term rentals?
The rise of remote work, changing travel habits, and tighter regulations on short-term rentals (STRs) have reshaped guest behavior across global markets. More and more, people are booking longer, more flexible stays—and mid-term rentals (MTRs) are emerging as a natural fit.
The original trend indicators are clear:
- Remote work enables people to live anywhere, driving longer, non-touristic stays.
- Domestic travel continues to rise, particularly for families and digital nomads seeking cost-effective getaways.
- STR regulations in cities like Barcelona, Lisbon, and New York are reducing short-term supply and nudging demand toward 30+ day stays.
This rental model combines the income potential of short-term stays with the reliability of longer leases. It offers a steady revenue stream while reducing the operational demands typically associated with high guest turnover.
At Rentals United, we’ve analyzed our internal data and turned it into insights to help property managers like you build adaptable rental strategies and maximize bookings. So what have we learned?
Mid term rental demand is on the rise
Since coronavirus and the spread of new regulations across cities in Europe and the U.S for short-term rentals we’ve seen an increase in demand for stays of 30 days and longer.
Why? Well, there are several reasons for this.
Remote work boomed after the pandemic. Many companies and businesses adapted their workplace practices in order to keep daily business activities going during lockdown. Jobs that previously required office attendance have been shown to be effectively carried out remotely.
This scattered the boom of digital nomads across the globe, who have switched to an entirely remote model, meaning those who work them can live anywhere they choose, often favoring mid term stays.
Domestic travel is up: Another coronavirus consequence is that many of us have re-discovered travelling closer to home. Whether it’s a vacation, staycation or workaction, domestic travel offers the convenience and flexibility that allows for longer trips, especially during the off-season. Families especially have noticed the cost-saving benefits of a domestic getaway versus flying somewhere exotic, and are able to book a longer stay.
Short term rental restrictions: adapting to the rise of new short-term rentals, most cities like Barcelona, New York, Florence, Lisbon, Athens and other cities are adopting restriction policies to stop granting STR licences.
As short-term listings decrease due to regulation, supply tightens, which naturally pushes more renters to seek available mid-term properties. This can raise both occupancy and price in the mid term market.
Other industry players have started noticing the potential that lies in incorporating mid-term rentals into your strategy. When we asked Vered Schwarz, COO of Guesty about her predictions for post-crisis trends, she said:
“I believe property management companies will be looking to diversify their portfolio and allow mixed-use for short-term, mid-term and long-term stays to ensure their business model can withstand future, extreme circumstances and maintain revenue stability.”
The pros and cons of renting mid term
Pros
- Steadier income. Longer stays mean fewer gaps between bookings and less time spent filling your calendar.
- Lower turnover costs. Fewer check-ins, cleanings, and admin tasks compared to short-term rentals saves you time and money.
- More reliable tenants. Mid-term renters tend to be traveling professionals, students, or remote workers, and often treat the space more respectfully than short-stay guests.
Cons
- Lower profit margins. Nightly rates for mid-term stays are usually lower than short-term, meaning reduced income per booking, especially during weekends or peak seasons.
- Less flexibility. Longer stays mean you can’t adjust pricing or availability as quickly, making it harder to respond to market shifts or maximize seasonal demand
- Wear and tear. Extended stays can lead to more wear-and-tear on furniture and certain appliances. For example, guests who are visiting for the weekend are much less likely to use the oven than someone who’s staying in your property for three months.
Where mid-term rentals work—and where they don’t
Mid term rentals work well in cities with consistent demand from business travellers, relocating professionals, and students.
Best-performing markets for mid-term rentals:
- Business and corporate hubs like: London, New York, and Dubai see steady demand from expats, consultants, and remote workers needing furnished housing for several months.
- University and medical districts in cities like: Boston, Berlin, and Houston, students, visiting academics, and healthcare professionals provide a year-round stream of MTR guests.
In contrast, MTRs often underperform in seasonal tourism markets, where short-term rentals dominate. These areas face challenges such as inconsistent occupancy and limited platform visibility.
However, if you are a property manager in a tourist destination where STR restrictions are coming into force, then you may find that this causes a surge in demand for MTR in the future, and you should consider whether you can position yourself early to take advantage of this.
These areas often have:
- Reliable demand cycles
- Higher guest quality
- Platforms and partners specifically designed for MTR bookings (e.g., Blueground, Spotahome, Housing Anywhere)
How to incorporate mid-term bookings into your strategy
1. Set monthly rates on the big OTAs
Major OTAs like Airbnb have the option to set monthly rates instead of daily ones, allowing you to give guests a discount on longer stays.
This approach requires a pricing strategy called length-of-stay (LOS) pricing.
The longer a guest is looking to stay, the bigger the discount they will get. You can set this up directly in your Airbnb account or through your Airbnb Channel Manager.
Learn how to set up LOS pricing with the help of Rentals United.
As a response to the increased demand for longer stays, Agoda introduced in 2020 a Long Stay promotion option. Travellers can now book stays of up to 90 nights through Agoda, which is a great chance for property managers to get more bookings.
Agoda has revealed that according to their internal data, properties with Long Stay discounts get an average of 89% more bookings. They recommend setting your discount at 30% for a minimum stay of 28 nights.
Guests looking to book longer stays actively search for properties that have a monthly rate. During periods of low demand like the coronavirus crisis, raising your minimum stay and setting up LOS pricing can be a great way to make sure your rentals don’t stay empty.
Booking.com offers special discounts depending on the Length of Stay that your guests want. LOS (Length Of Stay) discount provides weekly or monthly discounts that you can include to change towards a mid-term rental approach. This can incentivize guests to book longer stays, and get those valuable off-season bookings.
2. Get listed on niche websites specialising in mid-term rentals
Remember, guests who are looking for mid term stays are more likely to plan further ahead, and have specific requirements than those booking short term or last minute stays.
MTR guests use alternative sites to Airbnb and Vrbo to find bookings, so target these guests by listing your properties on niche websites that specialize in longer stays.
Now is not the time to be overly selective about the channels that you list your properties on. On the contrary: you want to have as much visibility as possible, cover as much ground as you can so that you raise your chances of getting bookings.
Here are five niche booking sites specialized in mid-term rentals that we recommend you get listed on as soon as you can:
- Blueground: Blueground is a furnished apartment provider with over 15,000 properties under management, in 30+ cities around the world.
- HomeLike (Europe): Homelike offers over 50,000 furnished apartments across Europe.
- Spotahome (Europe): Spotahome lets guests book longer stays from wherever they are: their team visits the apartment for the guest, which is a huge advantage during the lockdown.
- HouseStay (US): HouseStay offers furnished apartments for 30 nights or more across the US.
- Altovita (Europe): Altovita provides temporary accommodation for business travellers and families in European cities.
- Magicstay (worldwide): MagicStay offers furnished apartments in all corners of the world.
Next to these five booking sites, also check out Anyplace (worldwide), 2nd Address (US), Flatio (Central Europe) and Behere (worldwide). We’ve covered them more extensively in our post about digital nomads.
3. Optimize your rental for mid-term bookings
Last but not least, think about the type of guest that you’re trying to attract and adapt your rentals’ amenities to their needs.
Like we’ve mentioned before, guests staying for 30 days or longer are not tourists. They are most likely people in-between places living their day-to-day lives. During the lockdown, they will most likely be setting up their home office in your rental.
To attract these types of guests, it’s a good idea to equip your rental with all the amenities they may need. Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to update your listings.
You can even upload new photographs that showcase how your rental can be turned into a temporary home/workspace.
Design spaces aligned with Wellness Travel trends.
Make sure that your rental has:
- A fully equipped kitchen
- A coffee machine
- A comfortable desk or other workspaces
- High-speed internet