Airbnb is one of the leading players in the vacation rental industry. This platform particularly favors remote workers as it has several filters that allow you to choose your desired stay based on comfort, location, and affordability. However, the word comfort and affordability is relative.
Airbnb has several disadvantages that leave you googling Airbnb alternatives.
Airbnb is becoming expensive, especially with some locations’ added cleaning fees and hospitality tax. Not just that, but the apartments are not pre-vetted. You may get there and meet the complete opposite of your expectations. Even suitable apartments may lack the basic facilities that support your remote working, such as wifi.
The demerits of Airbnb shouldn’t create a dilemma or jeopardize your digital nomad lifestyle plan. There are better Airbnb alternatives that can offer all the benefits of Airbnb and fewer of its downsides.
Best Alternative to Airbnb: Long-Term Stay
Many people are attracted to Airbnb due to its flexibility. They offer both long-term stays and short-term stays. For the records, long-term stays are bookings of 28 days or more. The following sites provide long-term stays with several other benefits, making them great Airbnb alternatives.
Flatio
Flatio and Nomadx merged in 2020 to become one of the biggest Airbnb competitors. With this merger, Flatio offers affordable rental accommodation to digital nomads, students, and professionals. If you are looking for an Airbnb alternative in Europe or the US, Flatio is your best bet.
Flatio offers long-term for as long as a year. Although they also offer stays as short as 14 days.
All stays listed on Flatio have been verified. Not just that, payments are only forwarded to hosts seven days after the beginning of your stay after you must have confirmed the suitability of the apartment. This eliminates apartment scams.
The pricing is clear from the onset. You don’t need to pay additional charges like cleaning fees.
Despite the merits of Flatio, it has some downsides you may want to consider. Flatio charges £19 flat reservation fee. You will also pay a service fee that varies based on your stay length.
House owners can reject you within 24 hours of your reservation based on the information you provided about yourself.
Selina
Selina is another great Airbnb alternative for remote workers looking for work-life balance. If you want a place to stay, work, socialize, and explore, you can hop on Selina.
Their Colive program makes them more suitable for remote workers. You can stay in any Selina hotel or hostel with a monthly subscription fee. The perks of this subscription include a free hot desk for your stay, high-speed internet, a free wellness class, and a discount on all on-site restaurants and stores.
You can also access all hotel amenities, such as bars and a gym. Depending on your budget, they offer community dorm rooms, micro rooms, and luxury suites.
Selina may be pricey if you are traveling on a budget. You may also experience disturbance while working during the day due to loud partying.
Selina operates mainly within Europe and Latin America. Their room quality varies based on location.
Anyplace
Anyplace is another great alternative to Airbnb for remote workers. The website has a great listing of fully furnished apartments, modern houses, and coliving spaces.
The platform is built explicitly for remote workers’ comfort. All apartment listed on the platform has a home office facility and ultra fast wifi. You filter listings based on the level of privacy you need; private room, entire apartment, or shared room.
Cancellation of bookings is made more accessible if something comes up and you can’t make it. Their customer support is ready to assist you with the process unless the landlord has a strict policy against cancellation.
Anyplace is suitable for long-term stays, and the website interface makes it easy to book your preferred place.
Any place does not charge any extra commission. They earn their commission from property owners. However, the booking price may be high since property owners also have to pay a commission to AnyPlace.
Coliving.com
If your goal as a remote worker is to make friends and build meaningful connections as you move around, Coliving.com is an excellent alternative to Airbnb.
Coliving.com is dedicated to coliving spaces. They only list independent coliving spaces, shared houses, and shared apartments. All properties listed on their website are pre-vetted for safety and basic amenities required for remote work.
Most listed properties are fully furnished with work space and amenities such as wifi, streaming services, kitchen essentials, cleaning services, laundry services, a pool, and a gym. All come without extra charges.
Coliving.com is suitable for monthly stays at affordable prices without extra charges or booking fees. The booking process is seamless, and cancellation is free. Hosts are paid 24 hours after you move in. As such, there is room to change your mind for a genuine reason.
One of the downsides of Coliving.com is that it only has listings in North America, Latin America, and Europe.
Best Alternative to Airbnb: Short Term Stay
Short-term stay rental websites are rental sites that allow you to book stays for less than 28 days. Several alternatives to Airbnb offer great short-stay deals.
Nomad Stays
What is better than a platform that understands your needs and is built specifically to satisfy you?
Nomad Stays was specifically built by digital nomads for digital nomads.
The platform offers pre-vetted houses that are remote work ready. All listed properties on their platform have 24-hour Wi-Fi, in-house workspace, and laptop desks. If you desire to network with fellow remote workers, they also offer co-working spaces that make that easier.
Listings are available in over 200 locations across 71 countries.
Talk about pricing. It offers flexible pricing without any additional charges like cleaning fees. What more? Hosts do not pay commissions or listing fees. As such, varieties of good deals at affordable prices await you.
Nomad stays makes booking your dream spot easier. With its instant booking feature, you only need to sign up, choose a desired place, pay a deposit, move in, and pay your balance without any unnecessary back and forth or complex contract.
Nomad Stays only lists properties that offer privacy and work convenience. As such, they do not list unofficial accommodations like homestay or rooms in domestic houses.
Nomad Stays is a short-stay rental site. They accept at least seven nights’ bookings and a maximum of three months. Bookings long than three months are not accepted.
Homestay.com
If, as a digital nomad, you want to experience different cultures while working remotely, Homestay may be a better option.
Homestay is a cheap Airbnb alternative that also offers cultural immersion. It is a house rental website that facilitates short-term and mid-term homestay arrangements.
By renting a room within an apartment, you can live in the same house with your host and relate with them and other locals. They offer you a home away from home. You can sort stays based on your desired experience: language learning, art, and craft, cooking, sport, yoga, or just a unique and fun experience.
Homestay has over 37+ stays listed across 170+ countries globally. They have listings across Europe, London, Paris, LA, Sydney, and other major cities worldwide.
Homestay is quite affordable. You can pay as low as $38 per night. You may choose to pay per night or monthly.
There is no fixed minimum or maximum length of stay, it all depends on your host. Some hosts require 2 nights minimum stay while some offer as short as 10 nights maximum stay. Although, you can still find those who offer 90 nights maximum stay.
Some accommodations come with free food or access to the kitchen. Breakfast is included in all Homestay bookings. Some listings even help you travel light by offering appliances like hair dryers and toiletries.
As a remote worker, some of the downsides of Homestay is the lack of privacy. You may also have to adhere to the specific house rules of your host.
Another downside is that you have to pay a non-refundable 15% booking fee. You will pay the balance to your host on arrival. If you are unsatisfied with the accommodation, your 15% booking fee is gone! Your host can charge an additional fee, such as money for extra meals or laundry services.
Booking.com
Originally Booking.com was just a hotel booking site that allowed you to compare different prices and suitable lodges based on your budget.
However, Booking.com now allows the booking of apartments and vacation rentals, making it an alternative to Airbnb. Especially if you are looking for a short-term stay.
Booking.com makes it easier for you to find remote work-friendly apartments. Within their 29 million+ listings globally, you can use their updated filter to find places that have 24/7 wifi and workspaces that are laptop friendly. They offer hotels, apartments, villas, resorts, bed and breakfasts, and guest houses.
They have varieties of listings that offer free cancellation. The best part is they offer price matches. If you find the same accommodation elsewhere at the same price, Booking.com will match the price. They also have a loyalty program that offers discounts and other freebies.
Unlike Airbnb, Booking.com customer service reps are always available to hear your complaints and resolve any issues you may have with your accommodation.
If you encounter an accommodation significantly different from what you thought it was, they are ready to help you.
What to Consider When Choosing Remote Work Rental Stays
Location
The right neighborhood is key when choosing a remote work rental stay. Ensure your stay is in a conducive environment, free of night and day disturbances.
Secondly, it should be close to amenities such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and alternative workplaces. I can’t stress the need for grocery stores and pharmacies enough. An alternative workspace is necessary if your place has no inbuilt workspace.
Even if it has, you may need fresh air occasionally. It will also allow you to meet like-minded digital nomads and professionals.
24/7 Ultra-fast Wifi
Of what use is a place without good internet access? You are there not just to flex but to work. You must ensure your stay has fast wifi 24hrs daily at an affordable price.
Fully Furnished Space for Remote Work
Fully furnished space is also necessary since you are a mobile worker. It is not advisable to invest in the furnishing space you will be in temporarily.
Besides, you will want to travel light as a remote worker since you can change location anytime. It will be better if your rental space is well-furnished with all basic remote work and living amenities.
Final Words: Working Remotely: Best Alternatives to Airbnb (Long-Term and Short-Term Stay)
The digital nomad lifestyle is interesting as long as you can access conducive accommodation anywhere. Sites like Airbnb allow you to get long-term and short-term stays at affordable prices anytime. If Airbnb becomes overbearing, remember several alternatives to Airbnb can offer you what you want based on your budget.
