Long-Term vs. Short-Term Rental Calculator
Which Rental Strategy Earns More?
A short-term rental can bring in more per night, but it also sits empty more often and costs more to run. A long-term rental earns less per night but pays every month with far less work. This calculator compares one year of each, side by side. Type in your numbers and press Calculate.
How to Read Your Results
Long-term, per year. Twelve months of rent, less the share of the year the home is empty and your monthly costs.
Short-term, per year. Your nightly rate times the nights booked in a year, less booking site and management fees and your monthly costs.
Short-term minus long-term, first year. The difference between the two, after taking out the one-time cost of furnishing and setting up a short-term rental. A negative number means the long-term rental comes out ahead in the first year.
Before you decide. Some communities limit short-term rentals or require a separate license or registration, and some associations do not allow them at all. Check your local rules and your association documents before you count on short-term income.
A long-term rental only pays when it stays full. The vacancy loss calculator shows what an empty month costs, and the ROI calculator shows what the home earns over a year.
Get a Free Rental Analysis
Not sure what long-term rent to enter? Request a free rental analysis and we will tell you what your home could rent for.