Real Estate Investor · West Linn, OR · Member since 2017 · 137 posts · 65 votes
Morning all,
We are getting ready to buy our first short term rental on the Oregon coast, I was wondering what folks thoughts were on trying to do a mix of short term rental and medium term rental. Medium term through the deep winter. I may just stick with short term but was kind of curious what folks thought..
We are getting ready to buy our first short term rental on the Oregon coast, I was wondering what folks thoughts were on trying to do a mix of short term rental and medium term rental. Medium term through the deep winter. I may just stick with short term but was kind of curious what folks thought..
Thank you!
Scott
@Scott Bowles, I think a mix of shortterm and midterm rentals could be worth considering, especially if bookings slow down during the winter. I'd compare the expected income from both options before deciding. One thing I'd also check is whether longer stays come with different rental rules or tenant rights in your area.
I'm a real estate attorney and investor based in Maryland, and I work with clients on leases, rental properties, and landlord-tenant matters. I've seen how important it is to have the right agreement in place and understand the rules before renting out a property, especially when the length of someone's stay changes.
I appreciate you bringing this up, @Scott Bowles. It's a good question for investors looking to make the most of their rental properties year-round. This connects with the work I do, and I'd be happy to stay connected!
Scott, on the Oregon coast this is really a seasonality math question. Deep winter occupancy for a pure STR can get brutal — fewer travelers, storm watching niche aside — so a mid-term strategy (traveling nurses, remote workers, insurance relocations) can smooth your income and slash turnover costs. The tradeoff: mid-term caps your peak-season upside and ties up the calendar when summer STR rates are strongest. Many coastal operators do exactly the hybrid you're describing — STR in peak season, mid-term or 30-day minimums in winter. Two must-dos: verify Lincoln City's STR rules and any caps before you buy, and run both scenarios on paper with realistic winter occupancy, not the listing's rosy projections. What's drawing you to Lincoln City specifically?
We verified the STR rules, I like the area and want a property I can use from time to time on the coast there. Also a pretty big seasonal rental market...
Since this is a very local question I defer to referring you to local host Facebook groups. Though this time it does seem like you have some quality responses, and I know @AJ Wong is an expert.
Scott, congrats on getting ready for your first short-term rental, and the Oregon coast is a fun market to start in. Since you're thinking about mixing short-term and mid-term stays, it's worth knowing that the financing can depend on how you plan to use the place, because a loan for an investment property and a loan for a second home you use yourself have different rules. Sorting that out before you make an offer saves a lot of back and forth later. My team at EquityNest Capital works with short-term rental buyers, and I'd be happy to walk through the options with you. About how many weeks a year do you expect to stay there yourselves?
Since you want to use the place yourselves, I’d block those dates first and decide the latest checkout you’d accept for a winter stay. A month-long booking is much easier to accommodate before the calendar fills with scattered weekends. I’d also ask local owners who actually books in winter and how far ahead, rather than assume furnished means there’s monthly demand.
I will say, I started out strictly an an STR and as I learned more about the MTR space, it became much more interesting for me. Having a longer term stay with less turns and more "consistent" revenue was a major appeal for me.
I operate now in my own portfolio and my co-host portfolio primarily with a midterm-short term hybrid. I have my calendar configured to capture 30+ day stays BUT I use a short term stay strategy in the very short term to fill in a couple of days up to 2 weeks while leaving the longer term stays open with a 30-60 day minimum depending on the market. I also require 60 day minimum after a stay because this allows me to have a midterm guest extend if needed.
I had a construction crew in one of my properties who extended 4 times staying over 90 days and this strategy allowed for them to do this.
I now have owners reaching out to me to do this for their STR's and has become a great selling point. The owners LOVE the larger payments but you have to keep in mind, in most cases, an MTR rate will be less than an STR but more than an LTR. I think it is a perfect blend for many owners.
I have been a STR owner in that market for over a decade. I have been fortunate enough the last 6 of those years to have 1 or 2 , 30 to 60 day rentals each winter until last winter when I only had traditional STRs. I wasn't really advertising much however. In late summer this year, I looked at my numbers and determined an aggressive rent price that was still profitable and it booked for 6 months within weeks. As a newer investor in the area, you may not have historical costs to guide you but you can approximate. I have seen the mid term market be more price sensitive while the STR market is more market sensitive.
The usual coast play is nightly stays in summer and 30+ day furnished stays in the slow winter. Before buying, confirm that exact address can get a city short-term rental license, since that decides whether the mix works.