The Airbnb market place
It is not news to anyone that Airbnb has revolutionized the world’s rental and housing market. With its unpretentious website and its cute little app introducing you to cozy rooms or apartments that you can rent per night or per season, it is nowadays one of the most valued companies in the hotel sector that has brought about the much-needed democratization of the hotel industry.
Immediately the consequences were clear and after a few years, the shift is obvious. Prices are now responding in real-time, hotels and inns have improved their offers and service having split with archaic traditions and become more guest-centric, and profit is now shared with millions of investors, newly born hospitality experts, small and big companies, and with the cities themselves.
Design, comfort, quality, and excellent service are now commanding words that can make or break such properties and define successful businesses. As property quality rises so do guests’ expectations, which have contributed to a real revolution in this market and redefined the very concept of hospitality and how it intersects with real estate and the human experience.
Mid-term stays and their audience
Now, if initially the bid for an apartment advertised on Airbnb was focused solely on tourism, nowadays hospitality has widened and gained strength by bringing longer stays into its fold. This is exactly why, if you are considering a longer stay somewhere in the world, said apartments might be just what you are looking for. Let’s take a closer look.
On the one hand, we have furnished and refurbished apartments prepared to receive guests for much longer than just a normal vacation. On the other, we have guests whose tastes have shifted towards more homely and economical options and if before people and companies used to look for hotels to host them for their extended stays, it is now much more convenient, especially financially, to search for short-term rentals or serviced apartments.
We talked previously about companies hosting their employees on short-term rental for longer stays. Read more at the link.
The target audience for longer stays is vast and wide while being, at the same time, quite eclectic and undefined. If you need to move houses and haven’t found a permanent abode yet, if you’re traveling or taking a gap year in your favorite country, if you’re a student taking a semester of classes abroad, a health professional that needs some space or if you’re just tired of working remotely and need a change of scenery, you might want to consider different options that cater to your specific needs.
So many options!
Thankfully, if there’s one thing this market isn’t lacking is diversity. From luxurious to minimalistic, spacious to cozy, located in the CBD or outskirts. Short-term rentals have multiplied at a rate and pace which has exploded their genetic bank to cater to all kinds of tastes and pockets. Similarly, this is also true about short-term rental platforms themselves.
Enjoy a lovely stay with a professional management company
Nowadays, it is very easy to put your property up for short-term rental. But unfortunately, not everyone has the time and skills to deal with guests and work with tourism. With a specialized team prepared to serve the clients, many specialized management companies have emerged in order to better the experience for guests from all over the world and give them a sense of security while contributing to the professionalization of the sector.
LovelyStay, with over 350 apartments and a stellar guest and owner rating, is the leading Portuguese company in this market. But, of course, your dear writer is not one to talk to as this is the company where I’ve learned all there is to learn about the short-term rental market. But biases aside, opting for a professionally managed property is the way to go. One might think you will lose some of the personal sides of things but the truth is will still be talking to locals and locals who are actually experts in helping you out. Plus, a company can deal with adversities more quickly and efficiently as they are used to handling a variety of different issues and have a big network of suppliers one phone call away.
Let’s imagine you are having a wonderful time at an Airbnb somewhere and your water boiler breaks down. If you’re dependent on the platform itself to be the liaison between you and the property caretakers, forget about it. If you are dependent on the owner themselves it might be they are super nice and know a lot about boilers but it might also be that they don’t and that they don’t know a handyman who can get there fast, or maybe they don’t want to spend the money in the emergency fee or they just don’t really care. A professional company however is legally bound to help you, has staff 24/7 at your beck and call, and knows a myriad of handymen and suppliers they can call to solve your issue, pronto!
So, are Airbnb-style apartments the right option for you?
Only you can really make that decision but it is our conviction that it very likely is. Particular countries work in particular ways and you need to take a lot of nuance into consideration before making a decision. Nevertheless, this vibrant new market has emerged out of the very need to globalize and democratize accommodations for tourists and more permanent guests alike, and so, both agents and platforms are united via explicit and implicit international protocols, methods, and standards which can surely secure you some peace of mind if you need a temporary, comfortable and financially viable solution.
Have we mentioned Portugal and LovelyStay are lovely throughout the whole year? And we do promise, if you do need a different mug or a cocktail shaker…well, we got you covered!
Translated by Miguel Marinho Soares
