Furnished Finder and AirDNA Release First-Ever Report on Rapid Growth of Monthly Rental Market in the U.S.

Data reveals monthly rentals are scaling faster than short-term rentals, driven by affordability challenges, mobility trends, and regulatory shifts

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The monthly rental market has seen exponential growth over the past five years, and at a materially faster pace than the short-term rental (STR) market. Expanding from a niche use case to a core component of the U.S. rental and lodging ecosystem, the rise of the monthly rental market is clear, persistent and structurally distinct from short-term travel.

Today, Furnished Finder, the leading platform for furnished monthly rentals, in partnership with AirDNA, the leading provider of STR data and analytics, announces the release of a first-of-its-kind report on the U.S. monthly rental housing market detailing forces driving demand, renter preferences, and areas of opportunity for investors. Catalyzed by the pandemic and fueled by ongoing macroeconomic and regulatory factors, the market is seeing growing demand from renters and investors alike.

The report combines data from AirDNA's collective review of 28-day-plus bookings for properties listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, & Booking.com, and Furnished Finder's listing insights to provide a holistic view of market demand and trends. The trend is clear: monthly rentals are no longer a niche segment, but a meaningful pillar of the rental economy, scaling 2x faster than short-term rentals over the last five years. They are now a cornerstone of modern housing, driven by housing shortages, remote work, and Americans' desire for flexibility. Notable report findings include:

Monthly rentals have become a core growth engine and are reshaping rental economics
Across the U.S., nights stayed during 28+ day reservations have increased by 136% from 20 million in 2019 to 46 million in 2025, as tracked by AirDNA. Similarly, Furnished Finder's inventory has expanded from approximately 20,000 listings pre-pandemic to more than 300,000 today. In contrast, short-term stay demand grew just 52% over the same period. Monthly rentals now make up about 19% of all rental demand.

Growth driven by macro trends
Monthly rentals' acceleration is being reinforced by converging structural shifts, including tightening regulations, housing scarcity, and broad economic realignment, appealing to both renters and property owners.

• For renters, the appeal lies in flexible, fully furnished housing that supports mobility and affordability. Monthly rentals meet the unique needs of purpose-driven travelers, such as business travelers and contract workers, relocating families, and traveling healthcare professionals, looking for affordable, temporary housing.
• For hosts, monthly rentals are proving to be a stability strategy rather than a fallback. On Furnished Finder, 65% of landlords report exclusively operating a monthly rental model. AirDNA data shows many STR property owners now toggle between short-term and monthly rentals to balance income year-round. These longer bookings help fill low-season gaps, cut turnover costs by up to 70%, and reduce vacancy risk, often delivering comparable or even higher net returns with far less effort.

Monthly rentals are scaling nationwide, with the greatest concentration in urban areas, where they account for 33% of nights booked. Still, they are not confined to a single region, traveler type, or regulatory environment. Demand is concentrated in markets where workforce demand is the strongest.

• AirDNA's data shows that while Los Angeles and New York are the largest markets for monthly rentals, there are now more than 20 other cities generating more than 500K monthly stay nights annually.
• Furnished Finder data shows growth is strongest in employment corridors, hospital networks, and affordability zones, not tourism-heavy destinations. Some of the strongest signals of category expansion occur in smaller markets which are some of the fastest-growing, where demand growth is outpacing supply, highlighting unmet housing need and opportunity for investors.

Successful monthly rentals are small, affordable, and functional
Affordability drives demand, with monthly rental demand skewing towards smaller homes and rooms for rent. Fifty-five percent of renters search for housing with a rent of $2500/month or less, and 85% of property page views on Furnished Finder are of properties with two bedrooms or less. Renters care most about functionality and prioritize essential amenities like dedicated workspaces, full kitchens, in-unit laundry, and pet friendliness. With longer stays and less turnover costs, pricing for monthly rentals typically sits below short-term rentals but varies by market and property type.

Monthly rentals open the door to new investors and hybrid operators
Monthly rentals open participation to a wide spectrum of owners using nearly any property type: single-family homes, ADUs, garage apartments, and even spare rooms. As monthly rentals cement their role in the housing economy, this report offers a clear roadmap for hosts, investors, and policymakers navigating a market defined by flexibility, affordability, and compliance.

"This report confirms what we've been seeing on the ground: monthly rentals are not a temporary trend, but a structural shift in housing – reshaping how Americans live, work, and move," shares Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnished Finder. "We expect continued growth in this sector and are continuously working on ways to enhance our offerings for our renter and operator customers to meet this rapidly increasing demand."

"By combining our market intelligence with Furnished Finder's insights, we've uncovered how mobility and affordability are transforming the rental economy," shares Jamie Lane, SVP of Analytics at AirDNA. "This report highlights the growing opportunities for investors in the monthly rental market, whether they're just getting started or well-established in the STR or long-term markets."

Read the full report here. Visit www.furnishedfinder.com/stats for more market-level demand insights, tenant types, and rental rates across markets, and uncover the latest data and trends from AirDNA here.

About Furnished Finder

Furnished Finder is the leading two-sided marketplace for monthly furnished rentals, connecting landlords with traveling professionals, remote workers, and relocating families seeking stays of 30 days or more. With a growing network of over 300,000 listings and more than 240,000 landlords nationwide, Furnished Finder connects renters to real homes in real communities, without booking fees or hidden costs. In 2025, Newsweek named Furnished Finder one of America's Best Online Platforms, ranking it #1 in the Real Estate category. Founded in 2014, the company continues to redefine flexible housing for the modern renter.

About AirDNA

AirDNA is a global authority in short-term rental data, offering comprehensive insights and analytics to empower businesses in the short-term rental industry. AirDNA helps vacation rental hosts, managers, and investors make smarter decisions in any market or economic climate. For every short-term rental question, AirDNA has the answer.

SOURCE Furnished Finder