Fellow Hosts,
I’m in Miami and have had some guests book for longer stays i.e. 20-45 days; I did nothing different to attract the longer booking, however, going forward, as of April, I’d like to focus on the multi-week stays. I like longer stays, it’s less stressful and while I make a bit less money, I prefer it particularly for the slower months after the holidays.
What do you suggest I do to attract the longer bookings? Obviously I will need to set it so that guests can’t book less than X number of days, I will also have to set the per day rate lower, what else? Please note that I don’t want to offer the crazy 45% off for monthly stays – or is it better to keep the per day rate high and offer a significant discount for a monthly booking?
I look forward to your helpful ideas, thank you.
I prefer to have lower price in winter with minimum number of days as I don’t want to offer a large discount during my high season.
Airbnb makes you set a daily price no matter how long your minimum is. I set my daily price close to their recommended price and then calculate what percent discount I need to give to get the monthly price I want. I set my minimum at a month. My listing mentions that it is ideal for people with a short term job or internship.
Recently I set my maximum to three months, so no one books ten months and then when they get here they don’t like it or find that they have to leave early. After the first three months, if we both agree, they can book more time.
@reader99 Marie, thank you for your insight – what is your occupancy rate? Are you generally booked for the longer stays month after month?
I’m not near anything, so most of my guests frankly stay here for the combination of low price and having everything they need in the room.
There is always someone in at least one of the rooms, and usually in both. I’ve had two different ones that stayed 13 months each because what they came for took longer than they thought. One I have now is in the midst of a six months stay. Coming in December is one that has a two month internship nearby.
My most common guest type is a student pilot taking lessons at one of several tiny airports in this area. Also medical-type internships such as midwife or physical therapist. One person came all the way from Switzerland to re-evaluate her marriage for two months.
Miss M, I hope you are also asking guests to sign leases, or LTR agreements. If they stay past 30 days, (it’s actually two weeks in Flordia) they actually become tenants entitled to due process rights, which means you will have to go through the traditional channels for evictions if necessary. Your/their agreements with Airbnb will mean nothing so please be forewarned!!
Never let someone stay in your home for more than about 20 days without some kind of legal agreement in place.
It might be worth a couple hundred to pay a lawyer to come up with a lease that will protect you. There have definitely been cases of hosts posting right on this forum of guests overstaying and even calling the cops on their own hosts for harassment. The host feared she would file a TRO on her, thus being able to prohibit the host from entering her own home! The host is still going to court over this guest filling harassment suits as she was a professional squatter. She got three free months inside the woman’s house and trashed the room. The poor lady could not do a single thing to get her out except through the painfully slow eviction channels. Your worst nightmare. Be really really careful.
Also be forewarned that Air charges the card at the beginning of the 30-day period, and hosts have often discovered upon decline of the card on the subsequent months, they are now stuck with a non paying guest.
If I were you, I’d only book them for 21 days, and after that point have them sign a standard lease if it’s a fit.
I hate to differ with Kona, but it seems like I just checked the Long Term Stay thing here in Florida, and there is no Renter’s Rights that kick in after 30 days – precisely because we have a LOT of long term snowbirds who come for 2-4 months.
It’s the other way around in Florida 
I’d be inclined to contact local businesses and organisations that are looking for longer term stays for employees/interns/etc. because I’m not certain that you can do anything with your listing except plainly state ‘Special Deals for Long Term Guests April - November. Please Inquire’. Then deal with the inquiries as necessary.
Miami must have so many organisations that are looking for longer term lets. Try networking with local businesses, hospitals and so on. Which reminds me, when I had a traditional B & B in the UK we were close to a hospital. I often had guests who stayed for a month or more because they had a loved one receiving treatment and wanted to be on hand.
So what does kick in? You and them with no agreement?
If they claim they have the right to stay after 30 days, how will you disprove that?
I wouldn’t be so sure that the Internet is right about this.
In fact I actually heard it was two weeks in Florida, not 30 days.
Best to contact a Florida lawyer and pay a couple hundred for a proper lease agreement than to just make assumptions.
Great to know I’m in Florida also I’ll have to look into this also!