Long-term travel and living abroad comes with a whole list of challenges.
One of (the most unsettling of) them, is unfortunately housing. And if you’ve ever tried to find accommodation with a short-term lease – especially abroad – you know what I’m talking about. It can feel pretty impossible, especially if your search methods are more conventional.
After having spent 4.5 years living outside of the US, I’ve found that the easiest way to stay longer-term in another country is to find short-term leases abroad. And to do that, you have to be willing to get personal.
1. The first place you should look… is your social media
A lot of South American and European countries still heavily use Facebook for individual marketing purposes.
Start looking directly at the FB Marketplace ads in the area you want to find a place. You’re bound to find some apartment listings there and if you don’t see much going on or anything that fits within your budget, search FB groups.
There are tons and tons of groups that are have been specifically created for short-term rentals in the area you want to go.
TIP: Before asking to join a group, check out the dates of the latest posts. Make sure the group is still active and people are still posting, otherwise you may waste your time.
(Since I’ve started living abroad, this is the #1 way I find short-term leases abroad (and that goes for the longer-term stays as well.)
2. After you’ve hit up FB, turn to Instagram
If you have Instagram, it sometimes helps to create a story telling your followers what you need, where you need it, and around what timeframe.
Before you post your story, make sure you ask your followers to repost and share. Even just one share could help put you in touch with someone who knows someone who is renting something at some point and time. This route isn’t as effective as FB groups, but if you have quite a following built up already or one of your friends/followers has connections to the place you’re searching for, and you know that, this tip has the potential to generate some real promising leads.
For best results: make sure to personally reach out to those followers that have connections and ask them to share your story. (People are way more likely to share your story if you reach out and ask.)
3. Contact someone you know who’s already been there
Maybe I should’ve started with this one, but I honestly enjoy seeing apartment pictures and picking my own place, which is why I like to start my searches with FB.
But, if you have the advantage of knowing someone or heard a story from a friend of a friend who’s been where you’re trying to go, REACH OUT. Contact that person and see what information they can give you. You never know what connections they may have made during their travels.
And even if you don’t get a room out of your efforts, I bet you’ll still wind up with some pretty solid recommendations of other things to do during your stay.
4. Send a private message to an AirBnb host
If you find an apartment you like via AirBnb and that place is available for roughly the same amount of time you want to spend in that location, send the host a message.
Usually the app will show you if the host is willing to rent out monthly, but those monthly prices can be brutal. I’d recommend asking the host directly in a message for a better deal. Or pay for a few nights accommodation first, this way you can meet the host face-to-face.
Some hosts are more comfortable with the idea of monthly rentals once they have a chance to meet you.
5. Find out which rental or classified websites the locals like use for posting sublets and start searching through them.
Every location has its own favorite platform to use when it comes to posting things.
If you’ve tried the other options in this article, and they haven’t been working, find out which platform is most commonly used for posting temporary housing and go there.
This may be in the form of a familiar site like Craigslist (Indiana) or something you’ve never heard of, like WG-Gesucht (Berlin) or Trovit (Rio de Janeiro).
6. When all else fails, talk to a local
If you have the privilege of already physically being in the location you want to live, one of the easiest ways to find short-term leases abroad is connecting with the locals.
Found a neighborhood you can see yourself happy living in? Ask the coffeeshop owners in that neighborhood if they know of any apartments available. Talk to store clerks and people you see often in places you frequent.
People, even strangers sometimes, can be quite helpful for a friendly face.
TIP: Since you’re already in the neighborhood, print flyers and hang them up in places they’re sure to be seen! Sometimes people are more willing to rent to someone nearby and a flyer always seems more personal. (This is an especially useful tip for Berlin, for example.)
