Lincoln City, Oregon STR or mid term

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Lincoln City, Oregon STR or mid term

Scott Bowles
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..

Thank you!

Scott

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  • Diana KhanPro Member
    Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 672 posts · 238 votes
    1w
    Quote from @Scott Bowles:

    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..

    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!

    [email protected]240-266-0291
    0Reply
  • Ametria Chaney
    Realtor · Memphis, Shelby County · Member since 2026 · 207 posts · 69 votes
    1w

    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?

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    • Scott Bowles
      OP
      Real Estate Investor · West Linn, OR · Member since 2017 · 137 posts · 65 votes
      1w

      Thanks Ametria!

      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...

      Scott

      0Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1w

    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.

    [email protected]813-563-0877
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  • Nyisha Walton
    Lender · Houston, TX · Member since 2026 · 96 posts · 29 votes
    1w

    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?

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  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 472 posts · 173 votes
    1w

    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.

    0Reply
  • John RacinePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 114 posts · 65 votes
    1w

    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.

    0Reply
  • Scott PillarPro Member
    Investor · Estacada, OR · Member since 2016 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    1w

    Hi Scott, another Scott here.

    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.

    Happy to connect!

    Scott

    0Reply
    • Scott Bowles
      OP
      Real Estate Investor · West Linn, OR · Member since 2017 · 137 posts · 65 votes
      1w

      Hey Scott strong name ;) I will reach out offline appreciate the offer!

      Scott

      0Reply
  • Erik EstradaBusiness Member
    Lender · Member since 2022 · 6k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1w

    Hey Scott,

    How are you funding this property? It will be super important to structure if you are looking at DSCR financing.

    [email protected]818-269-7983
    LuxePrivate Investments LLC 570 Reviews
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  • Alex S.
    Investor · Washington, US · Member since 2021 · 133 posts · 39 votes
    1w

    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.

    0Reply
  • Robin SimonBusiness Member
    Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1w

    We do a mix of STR and mid term on a couple of ours and it can work really well if the winter STR occupancy drops off a cliff, the mid term usually wont match your peak STR nightly revenue but a 2-3 month booking at a solid monthly rate with way less turnover and cleaning cost can beat a bunch of empty winter nights. Biggest thing on Lincoln City specifically is make sure the exact address can get (or keep) a VRD license, theres been a lot of restrictions on vacation rentals in the residential zones there so I'd confirm that before anything else.

    One thing I would say if you're financing it - a lot of DSCR Lenders will qualify an STR off AirDNA projections (some even at 100% of the projected revenue) so you don't need a lease or rental history on a first STR, just worth knowing going in. Are you buying in one of the zones where new VRD licenses are still allowed?

    [email protected]
    Harpoon Capital515 Reviews
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  • Nick Pavlakis
    Investor · Seattle · Member since 2018 · 35 posts · 5 votes
    6d

    I'd run the winter comparison month by month, with your own visits blocked out first. A six-month booking might look good overall but take away dates you wanted for yourselves. Then include winter utilities and a gap between tenants before deciding what monthly rent you'd accept.

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  • Stephany G.
    Investor · miami · Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    1d

    The hybrid works well on the coast. A few practical things that make it smoother. Decide your winter window early (say Nov–Mar) and block it, because mid-term guests (people staying 1–6 months, like travel nurses or folks between homes) book 1–2 months ahead, not last minute. Compare the two on what you keep, not the headline rate: a winter month of nightly stays loses the platform cut (Airbnb's host fee is ~15.5%, and Vrbo just moved to a flat 12%), plus a cleaning every turnover. One monthly guest is one cleaning and often no commission. Sites like Furnished Finder charge a flat yearly listing fee instead of a cut. Two cautions. Stays of 30+ days can give a guest tenant rights, so use a proper written lease for those, not just a booking. And the tax and permit rules can differ for 30+ day stays, so double-check that with the city/county. Since you want to use it yourself, keep your own weekends in the shoulder months. That's when it costs you the least income.

    I built a free tool that estimates nightly vs monthly income for an address. It's in my profile if you want to sanity-check your winter numbers.

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