Thread by @FerracoFTW

Over the past 2 years, I've spent 100s of hours searching online for monthly vacation rentals.

The strategies I've learned always result in a big discount.

🧵 Here's how I do it:

Start your search on Airbnb.

They aren't always the cheapest.

But they have the most advanced tools for search.

I use one of these tools for my first strategy:

Strategy 1: Use flexible search

Flexible search lets me:

• Search by weekend, week, or month
• Provide a range of dates

Example:

"Florida for a month in May or June."

Airbnb pricing fluctuates by day.

Using flexible search helps me narrow in on the cheapest dates within my availability.

Which leads us to another flexible strategy I use:

Strategy 2: Start broad, then narrow in

I want to stay near the beach.

I pick a beach destination, and search across a large area.

Example: I start with all of Florida...

...then zoom in on the area that fits my budget.

I'm flexible on location to give myself more options.

But there are a few things I'm not flexible on:

Strategy 3. Filter results by must-haves

A few of mine include:

• Private rental (no sharing please)
• Washer/dryer (I don't have luggage to fit 30 days of clothes)
• Kitchen (Eating out for month = $$$).

Example: I want the "Entire Place" and it must include a washer and dryer.

I filter out the results that don't have what I need.

At this point, I've narrowed my list to a few options.

It's time to chat with the host:

Strategy 4: Request a monthly discount

Monthly rentals are the jackpot for hosts.

It's a guaranteed booking for every night for 30 days.

I use this to my advantage...

I first send a message requesting a monthly discount.

It always works.

Example:

Then I send a follow-up.

And there's one question that I always ask next:

Strategy 5: Ask about Internet speed

When I'm staying long-term, I need to work.

Which means I need fast wifi.

Airbnb asks hosts to put wifi speed in their listings.

Most don't do it.

And some Internet speeds are too slow for what I need:

I send them a direct link to a speed test like this one:

speedtest.net

And ask the host to send me a screenshot of the result.

I don't settle for anything under 50mbps.

I use these strategies to always get a discount on monthly rentals:

Strategy 1: Use flexible search
Strategy 2: Start broad, then narrow in
Strategy 3: Filter results by must-haves
Strategy 4: Request a monthly discount
Strategy 5: Ask for Internet speed

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