Between hostels and hotels, apartment rentals fill the gap. You are unlikely to stay in a hostel if you are traveling on business and just want the basic amenities. However, hotels may be too costly or impersonal for you. A rental flat is a great middle ground because you won’t have to be around as many people, and an apartment rental will be calmer and cozier. You’ll also be able to prepare your meals yourself, which will help you save money on your trip and stay healthy.
Are you traveling with a group of pals? Finding a cheaper apartment is the best option. A room at a hostel or hotel will be far more expensive per person than cramming a group of people into a rental home or apartment. Plus, you’ll have plenty of room to stretch out and unwind. You don’t get much “me” time in dorm rooms or tiny motels.
Our Tips on House Hunting
Using Airbnb
Unfortunately, as Airbnb has gotten more ubiquitous, finding exceptional hosts has become increasingly difficult. Many hosts now own numerous residences and live in different locations. As a result, you’ll frequently deal only through property managers and rarely connect with the real owner. Furthermore, many apartments aren’t as wonderful in person as they look in photographs. Finding a host will allow you to eliminate poor listings. If you don’t know already, the weekly and monthly discounts on listings can be as significant as 50% or more. Consider extending your stay to get the best deals. And if you are not eager to commit for a whole month, it is recommended to see the apartment with your own eyes before booking, or to book for a couple of days to start with and then have a conversation with the owner about possible arrangements.
When searching for the right apartment with Airbnb, keep the following in mind:
Do they have a good reputation? – If others have been there, enjoyed themselves, and found the flat as described, you will most likely do so as well.
Do they have a lot of listings? – This is crucial because a lot of people are using these sites to manage properties. Some purchase a large number of homes and then rent them out on Airbnb. I tend to stay away from these locations because they are typically not as good as other flats and lack the personalized feel that comes with hosts renting out their own homes. On the other hand, it is mostly a safe bet as they are experienced and have certain standards.
Is there a lot of (good) photography? – Any listing that doesn’t include a lot of (good) photographs of the rental is hiding something.
Are they a Superhost or an active user? – Active users are excellent users, so check when they last signed on. Your question may go unanswered if it’s been a while since they’ve last checked the app.
Are they authenticated? – This feature means Airbnb has at least some background information on the host, so verified profiles are less apt to be of suspect quality.
Have they ever been a guest of someone else? – If they were someone’s guest and everything went smoothly, they are likely to be trustworthy.
These criteria are useful suggestions, but in the end, you must trust your instincts. You must have a great host who only nailed a few of these points. And, in locations where there aren’t many hosts, you may well have to be more flexible with this list.
Other Alternatives
Due to the increase in popularity of Airbnb, the market is pushing prices up, especially in high season and in places with high demand. This is why the offline market, or more accurately, “un-platformed” market, will result in better prices, but will be harder to find and coordinate. We refer here to Facebook marketplace, apartment groups, “for rent” signs in the street, and asking locals for referrals or agents.
Facebook is a great place to start to screen through the options and get the hang of the overall price spectrum of the area. The marketplace has a decent filtering system and you can message multiple owners to get quick feedback. Try to use “furnished” and “short term” in your keywords for more relevant listings. This will open up mostly locals who look for longer rent periods, but who might settle for a short-term rental if negotiated properly. In some cases you will find a real estate agent who has access to many listings, and if you are lucky they will take you on a tour to see a few options.
In some cities or towns a major portion of housing ads are not even online. Meaning that renting a car or motorbike to travel around and calling random “for rent” signs may really pay off, especially when you need a place for more than a few months.
And, last but not least, is being actively communicative to locals about you looking for a place to rent. Ask travelers who have been there for a while, ask local service providers who might know someone, or stop by places you see to ask if they are renting rooms.
Summary
Overall, it is very easy these days to find a place to sleep. The challenge is in finding a deal that doesn’t rip you off, especially when you travel for a long time and cannot afford weekend-trip prices all year round. We personally find this one of the most challenging tasks when arriving in a new place, but when done right, it is worth the hassle.
