I use Airbnb a lot, but I have found that it’s not always the best option. Sometimes there are local or regional sites that work better and have a more affordable inventory for medium term stays.
Let’s use this thread to share some of these competitors. Let’s make this post a wiki so we can keep it updated based on the discussion below.
Wiki:
I’ve used one called Uniplaces in Lisbon. They operate in large parts of Europe. Despite the name they are open to non-students as well (they call it “young professionals”). Only allow rentals of 28 days or longer. They do charge a fixed service fee per rental meaning it’s the same if you rent for one or six months, making longer rentals better financially.
Protip: Use the coupon “UNI9E69001” for 25% off their service fee.
In the UK, you can sometimes find house or pet sitting arrangements. trustedhousesitters.com requires a £90 per year fee, but mindahome.co.uk is only £15 for the year. If you don’t mind staying a while and being responsible for people’s belongings it seems like a pretty good deal.