When Timothy and Gabriele Foran were looking for a place to stay in Florida, they didn’t know exactly what they wanted. But they also knew what they didn’t want.
Vacation rentals can be a hit-or-miss proposition. And Foran, a retired marketing manager who lives near Stuttgart, Germany, didn’t care for the guesswork that comes with a vacation rental platform: Will it have a working air conditioner? Strong Wi-Fi? Or someone on hand to take care of any problems?
That’s when the Forans found Landing, a company that offers a more standardized, hotel-like product.
“Their concept of providing homes away from home appealed to us,” says Timothy Foran.
The Forans represents a significant shift in the long-term accommodations market. Bill Smith, CEO of Landing, says when his company started, it focused on minimum stays of one month. But as consumer preferences have evolved since the pandemic and as Landing’s own business has matured, the company started offering more flexible accommodations. Now, you can book a Landing property for as little as two or three nights in most markets.
“Demand has absolutely exploded,” says Smith.
Alex Chatzieleftheriou, CEO of Blueground, another major player in the market, agrees. “Furnished apartments have evolved into a mainstream option, and we expect supply to grow from today’s 2 to 3 percent of the rental market to 10 percent in the coming years,” he says.
Furnished apartments are changing. They’re doubling down on standardization, adding new amenities, and emphasizing an attractive value proposition. Most of all, they want everyone to know they are not just for digital nomads and corporate clients any more.
How are long-term rentals changing?
Foran and his wife tried several Landing properties in Florida, and found they were less expensive and more predictable than an Airbnb. The kitchens came with standard amenities, such as a toaster, microwave and coffeemaker. And there was always a strong and fast internet connection.
A big plus for Foran is having a kitchen. He says it’s “essential” for saving money. He prepares most meals in his rental, avoiding restaurant fatigue and the expense of eating out. Access to a fitness center and a pool at each property is also crucial for his active lifestyle. Foran sums it up simply. Landing gives them “better accommodations at a much lower price”.
These may seem like minor items, but for long-term guests they can be important. Many vacation rentals — particularly in Europe — don’t come with toasters or microwaves. And a Wi-Fi connection in a hotel is never guaranteed, no matter what the property description says.
Foran says reliability was one of Landing’s main selling points.
“The quality in our rentals to date has been pretty consistent,” he adds.
To get an idea of how consistent the furnished apartment market has become, you have to visit the Blueground warehouse in São Paulo. There, you’ll find rows upon rows of amenity kits, sheets, bedspreads, pillows and furniture. If you rent a Blueground property in Brazil’s most populous city, you’ll have a remarkably consistent experience, right down to the coffeemaker. And if you stay in multiple Blueground properties, it will feel like you’re coming home, because the furniture and decor are virtually identical. Even the Wi-Fi password is the same.
This type of consistency is what sets these furnished apartments apart from the less regulated vacation rentals — and it’s a main driver of industry growth.
More space, less stress
Beyond consistency, the amenities offered by these long-term rentals are a huge draw. These properties often have superior amenities compared to extended-stay hotels. The apartments are bigger, and it’s easier to feel right at home.
Spencer Kramer, owner of Las Brisas Resort & Villas in Costa Rica, has noticed a shift at his boutique resort. Guests are gravitating towards its three-bedroom villas with full kitchens and separate living areas over standard suites. These villas are booking longer stays, attracting groups and families who want home away from home comfort without giving up resort perks. Kramer’s villa occupancy has been outperforming suites so much that he’s thinking about building three more.
Gunnar Blakeway-Walen, a marketing manager for the Chicago apartment rental site FLATS, has seen the trend, too. Extended-stay residents want the full apartment experience plus extras like rooftop decks and fitness centers. He says the market is blending residential-quality finishes with hospitality-style services, and properties investing in premium amenities are capturing these travelers at much higher rates than traditional short-term options.
ROOST Apartment Hotel, for example, offers the services of a boutique hotel with the functionality of an apartment. Its properties include 24/7 concierge, co-working spaces, full kitchens, and in-unit washers and dryers. Likewise, AVE offers furnished apartments for stays of 30 days or longer with condo-like features including gourmet kitchens, as well as access to on-demand amenities like conference rooms and flex workspace, resort pools, social lounges, and coffee bars.
What’s the value proposition of long-term lodging?
Cost is a major factor driving this trend, according to experts. Landing offers twice the space of a traditional hotel at a lower price point — usually between $100 and $200 a night for a two-bedroom unit, depending on the location.
Laurel Barton, an Oregon-based guidebook writer, finds that rent can be less, and avoiding expensive restaurant meals saves money, too. She also likes the flexibility of having her own kitchen.
“It’s nice to simply bring home a pizza or a simple meal to get relief from protracted restaurant dinners,” she says.
But Xinrun Han, who works for an email service provider in Singapore, says the shift is not just about price. It is about comfort, stability, and personal space. She saves money by making simple meals at home instead of eating out constantly. She also points out that while nightly rates might look similar initially, they become “much more affordable over time” because there are no resort fees, meal costs are lower, and utilities are sometimes included in the price.
There’s also the ease of booking. Juan Montenegro, who works for an online trading company in Delaware, has noticed that digital platforms have made the booking process smoother, with safe transactions, fast verification and smarter search engines.
“That makes it easier to book weeks or months at a time,” he adds.
The changing face of long-term lodging: Beyond the digital nomad
The type of travelers opting for these rentals have diversified far beyond the stereotypical digital nomad. When Landing first started, it focused on customers who wanted to live in one city for a few months and then move on. Now, most of Landing’s customers have a home somewhere else, and they use Landing to supplement their life or for travel, staying for five nights, ten nights, or two weeks. Smith, Landing’s CEO, sees more people mixing business and leisure, extending a business trip over the weekend to make a full week’s stay.
Families also choose Landing because they need a full kitchen, laundry, and separate bedrooms, according to industry experts. They’re looking for a trusted, consistent place to stay where they don’t have to read every single review or deal with unique policies for each booking, which is often the case on other platforms.
Lea Anne Welsh, chief operating officer of Korman Communities, which owns AVE, has seen a significant shift over the last five years in their flexible-stay furnished apartments. Its client base has gone from largely corporate to now a 50/50 rate of corporate and individuals.
“These include digital nomads, snowbirds, people going through a divorce, downsizers, and those testing new markets,” she says.
Jeff Hurst of Furnished Finder, a platform that specializes in monthly rentals, sees strong demand from remote workers, traveling business professionals, healthcare professionals on contract, and individuals relocating for work or personal reasons. Together, these groups make up 85 percent of his traveler base. Other users include retirees visiting family, families needing housing during medical treatment, or people displaced by natural disasters. Hurst notes that rentals for relocations, digital nomads, and those in academia are growing “especially fast.”
This year, the international rental market has also gotten a lift from shifting political winds, according to Blueground’s Chatzieleftheriou.
“We’re seeing a 49 percent year-over-year increase in the ratio of U.S. nationals booking stays abroad,” he told me earlier this year.
The permanent tourist: A new way to wander
The shift to extended-stay accommodations reflects a new way people are traveling and living. The new breed of furnished rentals offer the best of both worlds: the comfort of home and the consistency of a trusted hospitality brand. It gives you space, amenities, and predictability that a hotel often can’t. And unlike a short-term rental, you get professional management, so you are not left to the whims of an unpredictable host if an oven doesn’t work.
Furnished rentals also allow travelers to immerse themselves more deeply in a destination, fostering a sense of community even for a few weeks or months. But this trend isn’t limited to digital nomads. Families, business travelers, snowbirds, and anyone who wants more than just a room with a bed are part of this shift. It is also a form of travel safety, ensuring a consistent product in a world where consistency is often hard to find.
These types of standardized rentals offer reliability and a sense of belonging in a world that often feels anything but consistent.