Short-term apartment rentals

Ted. We have returned to Atlanta and are settled into the little apartment that we have rented for five weeks.  We find that apartments or cottages are much better than hotels for stays of a week or more and are usually cheaper so we have been renting them for many years. There are numerous websites such as VRBO and HomeAway but we usually start with Airbnb as they seem to have the most listings. Yes, we understand that Airbnb is causing mayhem in the housing markets in many cities but, for travelers such as ourselves, the benefits are overwhelming.

We have learned several lessons in evaluating apartments over the years. There are a few important “must haves.” First, we insist on what Airbnb calls an “Entire Home” with separate entrance as we are not interested in just a room in someone’s house. The unit should have a queen size bed and wifi. We also prefer a one-bedroom apartment to a studio. This means that there is a door to the bedroom that can be closed so that I don’t wake Judy when I get up early to make coffee. We typically eat breakfast and one other meal at home each day so we look for a full kitchen rather than just a microwave and mini-fridge. Amenities that are nice but not essential include air conditioning (in warm climates), cable/Netflix, clothes washer/dryer and a dishwasher. We agree with Lynne Martin, author of Home Sweet Anywhere that it is rare to find a unit with a decent sofa and set of knives so we are simply thankful if we get those. Lastly, we need a good night’s sleep.  It is hard to gage how quiet an apartment will be but a lot of info can be gleaned from comments and the description. Is it a basement or multistory apartment with folks clomping around upstairs? Is it above a café or on a busy street? Is it a "mother-in-law suite" attached to the owner's home?

The photos on the listing can offer up some clues as to how comfortable the unit will be. Are there nice pictures on the walls or is it sparsely decorated? Are there lots of windows or is it dark? Any ceiling fans? Are there several seating options (indoors or outside) or just a couple of chairs? I look for a unit with at least 10 to 20 reviews and read each one, looking for subtle tips such as “it’s hard to sleep on weekends” or “we loved walking in the peaceful park across the street.” We can’t get the exact address of the apartment in the listing but the general location is shown and that helps me to narrow it down to a neighborhood which I then explore using “Street View” in google maps. Is it a busy street or in a rough looking neighborhood? Is there a grocery in walking distance? What about public transportation? 

We have never had a bad apartment but the experience has varied from acceptable to really great. One lesson we have learned is to communicate with our landlord promptly if a small problem arises so that they have an opportunity to address it. In the end, one of the best parts of renting an apartment or cottage is that we stay in residential neighborhoods, not hotel districts so we immediately begin to feel like locals as soon as we walk out the door. And in a way, we are locals - if only for five weeks!