Think in months, quote in months
Long-stay guests compare monthly numbers. A listing that shows a nightly rate and leaves the guest to multiply is already behind one that says “$2,650 a month, utilities and internet included”. Set your pricing as a monthly rate for the minimum stay, then decide how it moves for longer stays.
Start from two anchors
- The unfurnished rent for the same home. Your monthly rate has to sit clearly above it. The gap pays for furniture, utilities, internet, the turnovers and the flexibility the guest is buying.
- Your realistic nightly income. If the unit ran as a short-term rental, what did a month actually bring in after empty nights and cleaning? A monthly stay should earn somewhat less than a fully booked month of nightly stays and far more than a half empty one, with a fraction of the work.
Between those two numbers is your range. Where you land depends on demand in your area, the season, and what the unit offers that others do not: parking, a desk, a washer, a pet policy.
Discounts by length of stay
Discount from the nightly-equivalent rate as the stay gets longer, because a longer stay means fewer turnovers and no gap risk for that period. There is no reliable published benchmark for how much, and the right number depends on your market, so set three tiers from the two anchors above:
- One month: a modest discount against the nightly-equivalent. The guest is paying for flexibility; you are saving several turnovers.
- Three months: a little deeper, since you now have a quarter of the year covered.
- Six months and up: deeper again, approaching the top of the unfurnished market plus a furnished premium.
| Stay length | Discount from nightly-equivalent | Monthly rate | What you are buying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightly-equivalent | none | $3,600 (30 nights at $120) | the baseline |
| 1 month | about 20% | about $2,900 | one turnover instead of several |
| 3 months | about 30% | about $2,500 | a quarter of the year with no gap risk |
| 6 months and up | about 35% | about $2,350 | half a year of certainty |
The channels built for monthly stays, such as Blueground’s partner network and Airbnb’s monthly-stay filters, exist because the demand there is for a month or more, and often for a quarter. Price for the stays you most want to win on each channel, not for the one-week booking you would take if it came.
What to include in the rate
- Utilities and internet. Include them. Guests expect one number, and chasing a utility bill from someone who left last month is not worth it.
- Linen, towels and a stocked kitchen. Standard. List it so it is not asked.
- Parking. One of the three most common questions. Include it in the rate where it comes with the unit. Where it is a separate garage or permit you pay for, offer it as a priced add-on so the guest who needs it can have it and the guest who does not is not paying for it.
- Cleaning. Keep it out of the monthly rate. Building cleaning into the rent inflates the number the guest compares, and not every guest wants it. Offer a mid-stay clean as an optional add-on at a stated price, and state the end-of-stay cleaning fee separately.
Deposits and fees
- Security deposit. As low as you can live with. A large deposit costs you bookings, because the guest is comparing the cash they need up front across several listings, and it rarely covers the damage it is meant for. A fixed few hundred dollars is enough for most stays; save one month’s rent for the long stays where the exposure justifies it. Check your state’s limits and return deadlines, which apply once the guest is a tenant.
- Pet fee or pet deposit. Decide the policy once and publish it. “Cats welcome with a $150 pet fee” wins the inquiry; “ask about pets” loses it.
- Early termination. Travel contracts get cancelled. A written policy, for example 30 days’ notice with the deposit forfeited, is fairer than an argument later and reassures the guest that the risk is bounded.
Seasonality and the calendar
Hospital contracts start on predictable cycles, academic terms and project seasons shape demand in many cities, and winter in warm places is a season of its own. Keep a simple calendar of when your inquiries arrive and when your gaps happen. Raise the rate for the start dates everyone wants; soften it for a stay that would fill a known gap. A unit that is empty for three weeks between stays has already lost more than any discount would.
The number on the listing is the number in the reply
Whatever you decide, the rate, the inclusions, the deposit and the pet policy need to be written down once and used everywhere: the listing, the first reply, the lease. The fastest way to lose a guest is to quote one number on Furnished Finder and another in the email. That consistency is also what lets someone, or something, answer for you. See how to respond to Furnished Finder inquiries for the reply itself, and what a long-stay rental is for the rules behind the 30-day minimum.