The good news is finding short-term housing is much easier than looking for a long-term rental or buying. This is because you can easily leave and not renew your rent if the property is working out for you.
The bad news is Boston is one of the most expensive and competitive housing markets in the country. Keep reading to learn how to navigate this tough market and find a great short-term apartment.
What is short-term housing?
Short-term rentals are usually month-by-month, giving the tenant flexibility to end the lease whichever month they choose. This is not how standard leases work, which have you commit to a set period of time, like six months or one year.
These can be trickier, because if you’re having an issue with the apartment or landlord, you can’t easily leave the agreement. By committing only one month at a time, you can easily change your living situation if necessary.
Why use short-term housing?
Short-term housing is typically recommended to first-time renters so they have more flexibility. Short-term housing is extremely popular among younger demographics. Especially in Boston, short-term housing is most utilized by students.
Boston is considered to be America’s college town due to the abundance of excellent universities in and around the city. Thousands of people from around the world move to Boston to study at one of the many universities. Many of these people are in the city temporarily and may be leaving abruptly and look for housing that allows them to be more flexible.
Certain short-term housing units are specifically catered towards students coming to the city temporarily. Specific universities work with these buildings and landlords to ensure all their students are provided housing.
If short-term rentals sound like a good choice for you, keep reading to learn how you can find a place to leave temporarily in Beantown.
How do I find affordable short-term housing in Boston?
With Boston’s large variety of neighborhoods, there’s a huge range of rental prices for both short-term and long-term rentals. Neighborhoods that are further away from the heart of the city are more likely to be cheaper. There are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, this general rule of thumb will help you navigate Boston’s housing market.
One way to find a great short-term apartment in Boston is to browse websites and find properties that are compatible with your wants and lifestyle. The internet is an awesome tool when browsing real estate, especially if you can’t tour properties or are searching from outside of the area.
By using high quality media like 3D tours, you can accurately browse properties from the comfort of your own bedroom. Utilizing these tools can help you find a great short-term apartment.
Another great way to find out about housing is to ask around, especially if you have connections in the city. You’ll never know who can help you find an apartment until you ask around. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find out your friend’s cousin is looking for someone to move into her apartment in Boston.
These are the ranges of prices you’ll find in Boston. Studio apartments and one-bedroom apartments are the types of housing most likely to offer short-term leases.
