Short-term rentals
Short-Term Apartment Rentals: How to Find a Place for 1 to 6 Months
Find short-term apartment rentals for one to six months. Compare furnished stays, short leases, sublets, total costs, and terms before you book.
You need a place for three months. Search results offer everything from a weekend rental to a 12-month lease wearing a “flexible” badge. The labels are fuzzy, and the cheapest monthly price can lose its shine once furniture, utilities, fees, and move-out terms show up.
The way through is to match the rental type to your exact dates, compare the full stay cost, and get the important terms in writing before money moves.
A short-term rental can mean five different deals
In conventional apartment listings, “short term” usually means a lease shorter than the common 12-month term. On travel and furnished-housing sites, it can mean anything from a few nights to several months. The phrase alone tells you very little.
Treat “short term” as a search label. Your agreement needs exact start and end dates or clear month-to-month rules.
| Rental type | How it works | Best fit | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnished stay | You reserve an equipped apartment for specific dates | A few days to several weeks | Nightly pricing, taxes, and service or cleaning fees can add up |
| Furnished monthly rental | A furnished home is offered for 30 days or longer | One to three months, relocation, contract work, or a home repair | Bundled furniture, utilities, and convenience can raise the monthly price |
| Short fixed-term lease | You sign a residential lease with a defined end date | Three to six months, sometimes longer | Lower flexibility and possible furniture or utility setup costs |
| Month-to-month rental | The tenancy renews each rental period until one side gives the required notice | An uncertain departure date | Rent, termination, and notice rules depend on the agreement and local law |
| Sublet or lease takeover | You rent through an existing renter or take over part of a lease | Exact-date gaps, semesters, and summer stays | Authority, liability, and payment arrangements need extra care |
A listing can sit in more than one row. A furnished apartment might use a fixed three-month lease. A sublet might run month to month. Name the contract structure first, then compare the furniture and services wrapped around it.
How to find short-term apartment rentals near you
Short-term apartment inventory is fragmented. Conventional properties may offer a three-month term without putting it in the listing. Furnished operators may show availability only after you enter dates. A useful search covers different sources without treating every result as interchangeable.
| Where to search | Best for | What you gain | What deserves attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway (recommended) | Apartment leases where the exact short term needs to be confirmed | Our free AI agent for renters searches broad listing sources, calls properties, surfaces fees, and books tours | Best for apartment searches in the metros we cover, rather than nightly vacation stays |
| Major apartment marketplaces | One- to six-month leases at larger apartment communities | Lease-length filters, maps, amenities, and large-building inventory | A “short-term” result may still require a longer term than your dates |
| Furnished Finder | Furnished stays of 30 days or longer | Direct contact with landlords and no renter booking fee | The landlord handles the agreement and payment, so confirm the person, unit, and payee independently |
| Blueground, Landing, and HouseStay | Move-in-ready monthly apartments with a more managed experience | Furniture, household basics, and support are commonly bundled | City coverage, minimum stays, deposits, fees, and exit terms vary |
| Airbnb and Vrbo | Furnished stays with exact arrival and departure dates | Online booking, reviews, and broad vacation-rental inventory | Compare the full checkout total and the cancellation policy, especially for a long stay |
| Authorized sublets and lease takeovers | A precise gap or a lower-cost furnished option | Dates and furniture may already align with your move | Get the property owner or manager’s authorization and understand who remains liable |
For a stay that fits a residential lease, Fairway’s AI agent for renters can handle the repetitive part. Tell us the city, dates, budget, furnishing needs, pets, parking, and must-haves in plain English. We watch every listing, Craigslist included, contact properties, and help tours land on your calendar. Fairway is free for renters. If you lease a place found through Fairway, you can receive one $100 cashback payment for that lease after you move in.
Dedicated travel sites are a better fit for a week-long stay. For a two- to six-month apartment hunt, use Fairway or a conventional apartment marketplace alongside one furnished-monthly source. That mix reaches both ordinary apartment communities and purpose-built temporary housing.
Search for the exact lease, not just the apartment
Start with a brief that a leasing office can answer in one message:
Hi, I’m looking for a [studio/one-bedroom] from [start date] through [end date], a total of [number] months. I need [furnished/unfurnished], [pet terms], and [parking or other must-have]. Do you have a lease that covers those dates? Please send the base rent, all required monthly fees, utilities, one-time charges, refundable deposit, and the renewal and move-out notice terms for the exact unit.
Then ask two follow-ups:
- Is the quoted rent tied to that exact lease term and move-in date?
- Can I tour the unit I would rent, in person or by live video?
The first question catches a common problem: the listing shows the cheapest available term, while your three-month quote costs more. The second keeps a polished model unit from standing in for the apartment where you would actually live.
Use dates rather than “three months” alone. June 12 through September 11 may price differently from June 1 through August 31. Confirm whether partial months are prorated and when possession begins and ends.
Compare three numbers before choosing
Monthly rent is only one of the numbers that matters. Put every option on the same footing with these three totals.
1. Total stay cost
Add all nonrefundable costs over the entire stay:
Rent + mandatory fees + utilities + furniture + taxes + cleaning + moving and storage costs − guaranteed credits
Keep refundable deposits outside this total. They affect the cash you need, but they become a cost only if some or all of the deposit is lawfully withheld.
2. Cash due before keys
Add the application or booking charge, first payment, deposit, prepaid rent, pet charges, parking setup, utility deposits, and immediate moving costs. A rental can have an acceptable total price and still demand more upfront cash than your budget allows.
3. Cost of changing plans
Write down what you owe if you arrive late, leave early, extend, or cancel. A flexible label means little when the agreement charges the remaining rent or a large termination fee.
Here is a hypothetical three-month comparison:
| Cost | Furnished monthly apartment | Short apartment lease |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $3,050 × 3 = $9,150 | $2,550 × 3 = $7,650 |
| Required fees | $350 | $250 |
| Utilities and internet | Included | $450 estimate |
| Furniture and household setup | Included | $1,000 |
| Moving or storage | $200 | $800 |
| Total stay cost | $9,700 | $10,150 |
| Refundable deposit | $500 | $1,500 |
The second apartment wins on rent and loses on the full stay. Your numbers may reverse the result. The point is to price the temporary setup you actually need.
Our apartment utility cost guide can help when a short lease leaves electricity, gas, water, or internet outside the quote.
Read the agreement for the awkward dates
Short stays create more edge cases per month. Settle these before signing or booking:
- Possession: Exact check-in or key time, start date, end date, and move-out time.
- Price: Contract rent, required fees, taxes, utility caps, cleaning charges, and how partial months work.
- Deposit: Amount, purpose, deductions, return process, and required condition record.
- Furniture: An inventory of furniture, appliances, linens, kitchen equipment, and existing damage.
- Extension: How to request more time, whether approval is required, and how the new rate is set.
- Early exit and cancellation: Notice, refund schedule, termination charge, and any rent still owed.
- Fixed-term notice: Some fixed leases still require advance notice that you will leave at the end.
- Month-to-month notice: The agreement and local law control how either side ends or changes the tenancy.
- Sublet authority: Written approval, the original lease, payment recipient, responsibility for damage, and the original renter’s continuing liability.
- Daily life: Guests, pets, parking, mail, maintenance, building access, quiet hours, and renters insurance.
Do not sign a 12-month lease with a plan to “just break it” after three months. A possible early-termination clause is an exit route with conditions and costs. It is a poor substitute for an agreement built around your real dates.
Rental, deposit, notice, and short-stay rules vary by state and city. USAGov’s tenant-rights directory connects renters to the relevant state agency and legal-aid resources.
Confirm the rental before you send money
Temporary-housing searches often involve remote tours, private owners, and tight dates. Scammers know urgency makes a suspiciously easy deal feel convenient.
The FTC recorded nearly 65,000 rental-scam reports and about $65 million in reported losses from January 2020 through June 2025. In the 12 months ending June 2025, about half of reported rental scams started with a fake Facebook ad.
Before applying, signing, or paying, match four things:
- Place: The address, unit number, photos, availability, and price agree across the listing and an independently found property source.
- Person: The owner, property manager, host, or current renter has authority to offer the unit.
- Paperwork: The parties, dates, charges, unit, cancellation or lease terms, and promised furnishings are in writing.
- Payment: The recipient matches the agreement and the payment route leaves a traceable record.
Search the full address for duplicate listings with different contacts or prices. Reach the management company through the phone number on its own site. For a sublet, speak with the property manager or owner about authorization. See the exact apartment in person or through a live video tour, and save the signed agreement, inventory, payment receipt, and messages.
Walk away from an unconfirmed contact who demands a wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or cash-like payment. Our rental scam guide gives you the full place, person, paperwork, and payment process.
Choose flexibility you can see in writing
The right short-term apartment is the one that covers your real dates at a full cost you can afford.
- For one to three months, a furnished monthly rental often removes the most setup work.
- For a firm three- to six-month stay, compare a short fixed lease with an authorized sublet.
- For an uncertain end date, look for a true month-to-month agreement and clear notice terms.
- For a week or two, a furnished travel stay or extended-stay hotel is usually closer to the job.
- For the lowest monthly price, accept that an unfurnished lease may require more cash and labor upfront.
Frequently asked questions
Can you rent an apartment for only one month?
Yes. Furnished monthly marketplaces, corporate-housing providers, serviced apartments, extended-stay hotels, and some conventional apartment communities offer one-month stays. Enter your exact dates because “one month” can mean 28 nights, 30 nights, or a calendar month depending on the provider.
Are short-term apartment rentals furnished?
Many are, especially rentals designed for stays of a few weeks or months. A conventional apartment with a short lease can still be empty. Get a written inventory rather than assuming that “furnished” includes cookware, linens, a desk, or even every item shown in the photos.
Do short-term rentals include utilities?
Furnished monthly and serviced apartments often bundle utilities and internet, sometimes with usage caps. Conventional short leases commonly bill some or all utilities separately. Use the written quote and agreement to identify what is included, metered, allocated, capped, or charged as a flat fee.
Do you need a credit check for a short-term rental?
It depends on the provider and contract. A property offering a residential lease may use its normal application and tenant-screening process. A travel-booking or furnished-housing provider may use identity, payment, background, income, or credit screening under its own rules. Ask what the screening includes and whether the inquiry can affect your credit before paying an application charge.
Can you negotiate a short-term lease?
Sometimes. Ask for quotes on two nearby terms, such as three months and six months, and compare the total cost. A property may care more about filling a specific vacancy window than lowering the advertised rent. Move-in date, parking, furniture, fees, and extension terms can matter as much as the base rate.
If your stay fits an apartment lease, tell Fairway what you need. We’ll search the listings, call the properties, surface the fees, and help book the tours. Free for renters.