Stayforlong is an online platform that connects homeowners with long-term renters. The site advertises affordable monthly rents for full furnished homes and apartments with flexible lease terms.
In this comprehensive review, we will take an in-depth look at Stayforlong to determine if it is a worthwhile service for homeowners and renters or an elaborate scam. Key factors analyzed include:
- Overview of Stayforlong’s rental model and offerings
- User experiences and Stayforlong reviews
- Transparency around fees, policies, and processes
- Protections and support for homeowners and renters
- Analysis of common complaints and concerns
- Comparison to other long-term rental platforms
By the end, you will have the information needed to decide if Stayforlong is right for your rental property or long-term housing needs. Or if you are better off looking at other options.
Overview of Stayforlong’s Rental Model
Stayforlong.com brands itself as an innovative long-term rental platform that makes owning a second home affordable. It aims to fill the gap between short-term vacation rentals and traditional year-long leases.
The company enables homeowners to rent out properties to verified tenants for stays ranging from 1-12 months. Homeowners list and manage their properties for free. While Stayforlong handles screening tenants, collecting rents, and providing 24/7 support.
Renters browse full furnished listings across the US and Canada and book stays that fit their schedule. Properties include houses, condos, cabins, and apartments. Stays under 28 days require no lease. Longer stays involve a simple month-to-month lease. Utilities, internet, cable, and furniture are included.
Stayforlong charges renters a 10% service fee on top of the monthly rent set by homeowners. It also takes a 10% cut from the rent collected. Homeowners receive the remaining 90% via direct deposit.
The model provides an appealing option for both parties:
Benefits for homeowners:
- Earn extra income from vacant properties
- Flexible leasing terms to fill gaps between short-term renters
- Furnished homes and hassle-free management
- No long-term commitment if selling or moving back
Benefits for renters:
- Lease terms from 1-12 months
- Fully furnished and equipped homes
- Avoid lengthy traditional rental process
- Relocate easily without breaking a yearly lease
On the surface, Stayforlong presents a solution for homeowners to maximize unused property and renters seeking short-term flexibility. But does the experience live up to the concept?
Stayforlong Reviews (User Experiences and Reviews)
User experiences and reviews provide insight into how Stayforlong’s model performs in the real world. Overall, Stayforlong reviews are decidedly mixed.
The platform displays a 4.1 out of 5-star rating on its website, based on 100+ reviews. However, outside reviews on third-party sites like TrustPilot paint a contrasting picture. Out of 133 TrustPilot reviews, Stayforlong has just a 2.4 out of 5-star average rating.
Positive reviews highlight the convenience of short-term stays in furnished homes. Users mention responsive customer service and an easy online booking process.
Here are some examples of favorable Stayforlong reviews:
“I loved having the flexibility of a month-to-month lease and a fully furnished apartment. The location was perfect and I felt at home right away.”
“Stayforlong made it simple to list my beach condo when I wasn’t using it. I earned good rental income without the hassle of furnishing and upkeep.”
However, the most common complaints about Stayforlong include:
- Misleading listings and photos
- Lack of property maintenance
- Difficulty reaching unresponsive homeowners
- Hidden fees and billing issues
- Problems retrieving security deposits
For instance:
“The listing photos were nothing like the actual property. It was outdated, dirty, and had multiple issues. Avoid this rental scam.”
“Stayed for 3 months and the owner did nothing to fix plumbing problems. Stayforlong provided little help and I lost my entire security deposit.”
While some renters have positive short-term experiences, negative reviews reveal the platform’s weaknesses with longer stays. Listings may be idealized and homeowners hard to reach when issues arise.
Stayforlong Reviews: Is Stayforlong a Scam or Legit?
A third key consideration with Stayforlong is how transparent its fees, policies, and processes are. This directly impacts users’ experiences.
Fees
Stayforlong discloses its 10% service fee and 10% management fee upfront. Homeowners and renters should understand the cut Stayforlong takes from rents.
However, users complain fees can pop up for early termination, damages, cleaning, pets, parking, maintenance, and other unexpected charges. Homeowners in particular felt misled about the number of fees.
Policies
Stayforlong’s rental policies are outlined on its website, including occupancy rules, security deposits, cancellation terms, and payment processes.
But users report confusion around lease terms. Stays over 28 days require a signed month-to-month lease. Yet users got stuck in lengthy stays against their wishes. This suggests unclear communication around lease commitments.
Processes
While the online booking process earns praise for simplicity, backend processes are less straightforward. Users describe frustrating experiences getting action from unresponsive homeowners and Stayforlong’s limited customer support.
Security deposit refunds are a major pain point. Renters report major delays, bogus charges, and refusal to return deposits without clear recourse.
Overall, Stayforlong’s fees, policies, and processes seem straightforward at first glance but contain pitfalls for renters during longer stays. This fuels many of the negative experiences.
Homeowner and Renter Protections
Limited protections and support for homeowners and renters.com further enable the issues reported by users.
For homeowners, Stayforlong’s damage protection plan protects against renter damages. But homeowners say claims are frequently denied. They are left footing repair bills for unruly tenants.
Without robust screening, homeowners also get stuck with disrespectful renters against their wishes. Yet Stayforlong does little to remove problematic renters.
For renters, Stayforlong promises 24/7 support. But customers service rarely resolves disputes with homeowners over property conditions and deposit returns.
When both parties have issues, Stayforlong seems to side with homeowners. Renters are left with subpar stays and no recourse for refunds or early termination.
Essentially, Stayforlong’s protections fall short when problems arise. Homeowners and renters describe an adversarial relationship without mediation. This drives many negative experiences.
Common Complaints and Concerns Summarized
Looking at user reviews, common grievances with Stayforlong fall into a few key areas:
Misleading listings
- Photographs do not match properties
- Lack of maintenance and cleanliness
- Faulty amenities not disclosed
Poor customer service
- Slow response times for issues
- Unhelpful with disputes over damages and deposits
Hidden fees
- Surprise charges beyond disclosed fees
- Unauthorized deductions from deposits
Lease confusion
- Vague month-to-month terms lead to problems ending stays
Damage protection deficiencies
- Renter damages not covered
- Damage claims denied frequently
Deposit problems
- Refusal to return deposits
- Excessive delays issuing refunds
- Bogus reasons for withholding deposits
While some renters have positive short stays, those issues plague users staying for 1-12 months when problems arise.
How Stayforlong Compares to Alternatives
With a spectrum of complaints, it is worth comparing Stayforlong to other platforms offering flexible long-term rentals. Sites like Zeus Living, Blueground, and Sonder focus on furnished month-to-month rentals.
Compared to those other platforms, common advantages of Stayforlong include:
- Lower service fees (10% vs. 12-15% for other platforms)
- Listings include individually owned properties, not just corporate units
However, key disadvantages emerge around customer service, transparency, and protections:
- No direct oversight of units – left to homeowners
- Vague policies and processes for disputes
- Lack of support personnel to fix issues
- Poor screening leads to problematic renters
- Allows for lease bait-and-switch
Essentially, the trade-off for lower service fees is limited quality control, accountability, and support.
As one of the first large-scale monthly rental platforms, Stayforlong deserves some leeway. But competitors have outpaced them by focusing more on professional inventory, more rigorous screening, and responsive support teams.
Stayforlong’s lower service fees come at the cost of elevated risks for renters. Other platforms remove those risks for only marginally higher fees.
Is Stayforlong a Scam or Legit? Considerations for Homeowners and Renters
Given the pros and cons, is Stayforlong a viable option to list or book long-term rentals? Here are key factors for homeowners and renters to consider:
For homeowners:
- Best suited for secondary properties you occupy occasionally
- Requires significant effort screening tenants yourself
- Provide accurate listing photos and details
- Set explicit policies on pets, guests, cleaning, etc.
- Have a plan if problem renters arise
- Review Stayforlong’s damage protection limitations
- Consider direct lease agreements vs. Stayforlong’s
- Compare revenue share vs. higher-fee services with more support
For renters:
- Vet listings thoroughly and ask for recent photos
- Clarify lease terms and restrictions before booking
- Document property condition upon move-in
- Request written lease agreement spelling out terms
- Understand dispute resolution process if issues arise
- Consider travel insurance for trip interruptions
- Confirm policies on guests, early termination, pets
- Take photos showing clean return condition
Homeowners with rarely occupied properties may appreciate Stayforlong’s hands-off approach and revenue potential. But direct management likely beats Stayforlong for primary homes.
Renters should thoroughly vet listings, clarify terms, and document issues when booking longer stays. For worry-free monthly rentals, other platforms provide stronger quality assurance despite higher fees.
Is Stayforlong Worth the Risks?
In the evolving alternative accommodation market, Stayforlong deserves recognition for its flexible leasing model catering to digital nomads and temporary relocators.
However, execution issues create clear risks that render Stayforlong a gamble compared to more polished competitors. Ambiguity around leases, fees, and protections creates friction when problems arise.
For homeowners, Stayforlong offers a way to offset costs on vacant properties with minimal effort. But hosts sacrifice oversight and take on liability risks that make platforms with higher fees but better protections more appealing.
On the renter side, Stayforlong presents a good option for short 1-2 month stays with proper vetting. But for longer stays, hidden fees, confusing leases, and poor dispute resolution make nightmare scenarios a real possibility.
Other platforms remove those risks through professional inventory, rigorous screening, and dedicated support staff. Their higher (but still competitive) fees provide peace of mind for longer stays.
Conclusion
Therefore, Stayforlong deserves credit as an early pioneer, the brand still has progress to make around transparency, accountability, and customer experience to consistently deliver on its flexible rental promise.
For both homeowners and renters seeking reliable long-term rental arrangements, the smart choice is platforms that invest more in quality assurance and service over maximizing revenue share.
Related Articles
Don’t Get Fooled! How to Spot Santander Scam Emails
Real Litfad Reviews You Can Trust in 2023 (Buyers Beware)
The Audacious Officer Schultz Scam Call That’s Gripping The Nation
Applebitcoins Review: Is Applebitcoins.com Legit or Scam?
Is Gamecards.net Legit or a Scam? Gamecards Review
Is Coach Outlet Legit or Scam? Coachoutlet.com Review
JRPass.com Reviews: Is JRPass a Scam or Legit?
Onlyreviews.com Review: Is Only Reveals Legit or a Scam? Beware!!
Langton Howarth Scam Exposé: BEWARE !! (Urgent Update)
Is Globehunters Legit or Scam? BEWARE of Fake Reviews
Zeomer.com Review: Is Zeomer Legit or Scam? Buyers Beware !
Don’t Get Fooled! How to Spot Santander Scam Emails
DHgate Reviews – Is DHgate Legit or a Scam? Buyers Beware !!
