Airbnb for short or long-term rentals: Tip-of-the-Day #252

My sister just received a 60-day notice to vacate her long-term rental in Marin County. The news came as a surprise (read: shock) and she immediately hit up Craigslist for rentals in her desired locations.

Given that it's July (favored month to move) and that she lives in the most desirable town in the world, she isn't finding anything. Nada.

That's when I thought of something else. Airbnb! Airbnb is similar to VRBO in that you can rent a room or cottage, loft, flat, boat, etc. directly from the homeowner in more than 34,000 cities around the world. That said, some homeowners are open to renting their spaces for more than a night. Some even mention that they'd consider a longer term rental. These folks aren't posting their spaces on Craigslist or other apartment rental sites because they may not be entirely certain that they want a full time guest. BUT, they are *open* to the idea and if the right person came along, the stars could just align in everyone's favor.

I've put out the feeler on a couple of great sounding spots. No harm in trying in this tight rental market and worst case is that they decline but may know of someone else with a long term rental in a nearby location.

Creative thinking pays off! I'll keep you posted. :)