Temp Housing 101: A Crash Course in Rental Terms
Are you ready to embark on a nomadic lifestyle as a remote worker, but not interested in RV or van life? Short-term, mid-term and long-term rentals, furnished versus unfurnished, utilities included and pet-friendly policies can be overwhelming when starting your search for the perfect temporary housing.
In this article, understand the rental terminology so you can search with confidence.
Temporary Housing 101 and the important terms you need to know.
Short-term rental: Typically lasts from 1 night to 30 days and is suitable for vacations, work trips, or family visits. Airbnb, VRBO, and hotel booking sites are great for this type of rental.
Mid-term rental: Lasts between 30 days to a year and is ideal for nomads, travel nurses, corporate relocations, or temporary housing for home renovations. Websites like Furnished Finder, Hello Landing, and Apartments.com are great resources for this type of stay.
Long-term rental: Lasts a year or more and is the standard rental experience when someone rents a place in a permanent or semi-permanent location.
Extended stay: An ambiguous term that can mean a rental from a few weeks to a year. It can be useful as a search term, but it's not as common when looking at true mid-term stays.
Furnished: The basics of a home are provided, including beds, furniture, kitchenware, and appliances. However, the extent to which a place is furnished and decorated varies between landlords.
Unfurnished: Only the walls and floors are provided, and tenants must provide their own furniture and household items.
Pet-friendly: Furbabies are allowed, but landlords may have breed or weight restrictions. Read the fine print in the lease and housing description. There may be additional restrictions on the type of pet and number of pets. So “pet friendly” isn’t always “all pets welcome”.
Utilities included: Typically covers gas, electricity, water, and internet access, but may not include lawn care, snow removal, garbage, recycling, or cable unless specified in the lease terms.
Tenant: The person renting a property from a landlord.
Landlord: The owner of the property renting it to a tenant.
Lease: A legal contract signed by both landlords and tenants clarifying the terms in which a tenant is renting from a landlord
Deposit: An agreed upon sum of money that a tenant pays to a landlord for the possible purpose of securing a property as well as to cover any damage the costs of any damage caused by the tenant by the end of their lease term.
By understanding these rental terms, you'll be better equipped to find the perfect temporary housing for your needs. Remember to always read the fine print before signing a lease, and don't hesitate to ask questions to ensure that your rental experience is a positive one.
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