Travelers in the modern age have access to several short term rental (STR) sites that allow them to find the perfect furnished accommodations for their needs as they move around for work, school, or leisure. While the accessibility offered by new platforms is a plus, there are hidden disadvantages that few may consider when they begin signing up for their first short stay rental. You may be wondering how exactly HouseStay offers a better renter experience than common online travel agencies like Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com. Let's dive into a few of the key benefits of using HouseStay to rent short term or long term furnished rentals.

HouseStay ensures the quality of your stay by offering only verified inventory.

Many short term rental sites allow anyone to become a host but do not have tools to curate their listings. While many hosts do offer high-quality vacation rentals, the issue is that the lack of quality checks can lead to short stays that the renter is not satisfied with. Whether this means renting out a master bedroom where you find yourself in the same dwelling unit with others or staying on a property that has maintenance or structural issues, there's nothing worse than booking a short stay rental that makes for a memorable stay for all the wrong reasons.

HouseStay differentiates itself from other OTAs by only listing verified inventory. Rather than allowing any property owner to list their primary residence on the website, we go through the process of verifying that the host has a fully furnished home or apartment with all utilities included, that the property is a whole accommodation (you should never have to share your space with another person), and that the unit can pass HouseStay’s inspection to prove that it can support short term rental activity. Most STR sites won't check to ensure that short term vacation rentals meet essential planning codes and ordinances for short term rental apartments, but HouseStay does. If you want to ensure that you're only renting from short term rental hosts who can offer you the best possible experiences, you should rent short term from HouseStay hosts.

HouseStay vets all parties on the platform, both hosts and tenants.

Tenants aren't the only individuals who want to be protected when they lease short term furnished apartments, during the rental period. Traditional OTAs will hold tenants accountable for any damage to the property or activity that goes against their policies, but they do little to keep their hosts protected. HouseStay offers a more seamless experience between landlords and tenants by screening both parties to make sure that they're among the high-quality individuals, when folks lease apartments short term, thereby creating a seamless transaction. HouseStay’s screening tools identify any red flags that come up during the screening process that may be an issue and stop the transaction prior to the confirmation of a booking. We believe that protection is something that should be offered to both hosts and tenants so that every short term lease apartment offers a desirable experience.

Our 100% automated booking platform offers a more seamless booking experience.

Tenants who use OTAs like Airbnb or VRBO are well aware of the common nuisances that one may experience when booking a short stay rental. Having to get the contact information of the host so that you can text back and forth on your personal phone number as you're trying to move into your short term rental is just one example of how today's STR platforms can be difficult to use. With that hassle in mind, a motel or cozy bed and breakfast may be easier to stay in. HouseStay removes the obstacles by offering tenants a 100-percent automated booking platform that automates the rental process from end to end. This means:

● In-app host messaging and host booking requests

● In-app payments (for your due at booking permit and monthly rental payments)

● Complete background checks and screenings for all our platform applicants, both tenants, and hosts

● Signing the HouseStay short term lease agreement in our system (not having to deal with extensive paperwork that you could lose or having to worry about acquiring a short-term rental permit from your city clerk)

● Conducting the move-in/move-out process on our platform using checklists geared towards both hosts and tenants to bring transparency to the process.

Whether you're looking to find month to month rentals in San Francisco, across the country in New York City, or anywhere in between, our simple booking process makes it easy to find furnished month to month rentals and book them with ease. For hosts, you don't have to worry about dealing with the city council to acquire a short term rental license or STR permits through whatever complex online permit system they may have in place as HouseStay only allows for stays of 30 nights or longer.

Our platform caters to the needs of working professionals and tourists alike.

Most people flock to OTAs because these sites have achieved a certain status and are known for their ability to help you find vacation rentals around the United States. Most OTA’s are designed for tourists seeking short stay rentals, not for traveling business professionals or international students, with most stays lasting a week or less. If you do want to extend your stay, you can expect to encounter a great deal of difficulty doing so and will cost far more than it should in the process. Meanwhile, HouseStay is designed to offer short term rentals for the rental period that best fits the occupant. Whether occupants want to stay for a minimum of 30 consecutive nights or extend their short term rental agreement for extended stays. Each furnished apartment or home listed on HouseStay provides renters with detailed information about the dwelling and displays the information on the individual listing page (Sq. Ft, Floor, Appliances and other essentials)

We value full transparency to help tenants book the perfect furnished property for their needs.

Not all property owners or managers are upfront about what their furnished rental home has to offer when they list it online. Crucial information regarding dwelling units, such as floor plans, amenities (especially essential items like in-unit laundry and on-site parking), and related perks like fitness centers and pools should always be disclosed. HouseStay provides the most comprehensive listings that detail all the features of the property, offers 3D virtual tours so that renters can view the property from anywhere in the world, and even incorporates a Google map so that you can see what the surrounding area has to offer. When renting a home, you should know exactly what your desired furnished home has to offer upfront, and HouseStay makes sure that renters have full transparency long before they send a booking request.

OTAs have made travel more accessible, but that doesn't mean these platforms are without flaws. If you're looking for a platform that values its users and offers a seamless process designed to simplify your short stays around the country, use the comparison guide above to dive into some of the best ways HouseStay stands out from other STR platforms. Once you're ready to book your first stay, create an account to get started.