Three Months, Six Months or a Year: What Furnished Rentals Cost
"That is the price of four towns instead of one."
Picture a couple named Alan and Kay, 69 and 67. They want to spend the next year in a mid-priced retirement town abroad, and they have not decided where to settle. Alan likes the idea of changing towns every season. Kay likes the idea of unpacking once.
Short stays often cost 30% to 50% more per month than a yearly lease, though the exact amount depends on the place and the landlord. Alan and Kay put round numbers on a page, using the same one-bedroom apartment at three lengths. The numbers are an illustration, not a market fact.
| Plan | Per month | Months | Total for 12 months of living |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 12-month lease | US$900 | 12 | US$10,800 |
| Two 6-month stays (30% more) | US$1,170 | 12 | US$14,040 |
| Four 3-month stays (50% more) | US$1,350 | 12 | US$16,200 |
Kay drew a circle around the last line. "The extra is US$5,400," she said. "That is the price of four towns instead of one."
Alan did the next sum in his head. "US$5,400 is six months of the yearly rent."
They sat for a minute. Neither of them wanted to give up the idea of seeing four places. Neither wanted to pay six extra months of rent for it, either.
Then Kay had an idea. They could take one three-month stay in the town they liked most, at US$1,350 a month, which is US$4,050. A yearly lease would cost US$2,700 for the same three months, so the extra for trying the place first is US$1,350. If they loved it, they could ask the landlord about a longer lease in the same apartment. If they did not, they would have paid US$1,350 extra to find out, and they would not have signed anything for a year.
You could…
- Ask the landlord for a price at three, six and twelve months, and fill in your own version of the table.
- Try one short stay first, and ask whether the price drops if you extend.
- Divide the extra cost of the short plan by your yearly rent, to see it in months.
Which length would you choose, and what made you choose it? Tell us your length in the comments. A reader weighing three months against a year could see what decided it for you.
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data.
Sources: landlord and relocation-agent guides on short-stay premiums. The US$900 rent and the 30% and 50% steps are illustrations, not market facts.
Tell us in the comments