Long Term Holiday Rental: Costs, Registration and a Checklist for Stays of Several Months

By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 14 October 2026

With a long term holiday rental, you rent a fully furnished apartment for at least about a month, often for several months in a row. Instead of a nightly rate you usually pay a monthly price, and cleaning and linen changes happen at longer intervals. From three or six months onwards, you may also be required to register your address.

We are currently fitting out a building with 54 apartments in Lehel and are regularly asked whether guests can stay for several months. This guide explains, from a guest’s point of view, what makes a long-term holiday let, what it costs, what you need to know legally and what to look out for when choosing one. Information correct as of October 2026.

In this article:

• What does long-term rental mean?
• Who is a long stay worthwhile for?
• Pros and cons
• Costs: monthly rate, bills, cleaning
• Which contract applies?
• Address registration
• Where to search and what to look for
• Checklist
• Alternatives
• Conclusion
• Frequently asked questions

Length of stay	Typical billing	What to clarify
up to 4 weeks	Nightly rate, possibly weekly discount, final cleaning	Total price, check-in, cancellation terms
1 to 3 months	Monthly rate on request, usually paid monthly in advance	Mid-stay cleaning, linen changes, deposit
3 to 6 months	Monthly rate, often with a long-stay discount	Registration requirement if you are not registered anywhere in Germany
over 6 months	Monthly rate, sometimes a separate contract	Registration requirement, type of contract, notice period

Long term holiday rental: what does it mean?

What exactly is a long-term stay in a holiday apartment? It means a stay that goes well beyond a typical holiday. There is no fixed threshold; most hosts start talking about long-term or extended stays from around four weeks and change the way they charge from that point. The apartment remains a holiday apartment: furnished, with a kitchen, crockery, bed linen and towels, so you can move in with just your suitcase.

The difference from a regular rented flat lies in its purpose. A holiday apartment is let for a temporary stay, not as a new permanent home for an indefinite period. This affects the contract, notice periods and registration requirements, as explained further below.

“Holiday apartment available long term”: what is behind such listings

In classified ads and on regional portals you will often see German listings reading “biete Ferienwohnung Dauermiete” (holiday apartment offered for long-term rent). These are usually hosts in holiday regions who would rather let their apartment on a fixed basis for a few months in the off-season than leave it empty. Typical searches include long-term lets in the Allgäu, on the North Sea coast or at Lake Constance, often for a period from October to April.

For guests, this can be a good deal if the timing suits. But check carefully whether the apartment has to be vacated at the start of the season and whether you might have to move out at short notice in spring.

Who a long-term holiday let is worthwhile for

A long-term holiday let is a good fit whenever you need a furnished apartment for a foreseeable period and do not want to buy or bring furniture. These are the most typical situations:

• Project or secondment: you are working in another city for three or six months and go home at weekends.
• Relocation and new job: the new job is starting, but you have not yet found the right flat.
• Renovation or water damage: your own home is uninhabitable for a few weeks or months.
• Caring for relatives: you want to be close to your parents or family for a while, for example after an operation.
• Wintering: some people spend the colder months in the south or by the sea and rent a holiday apartment for the winter.

If you are travelling with several colleagues for a project, for example as a team of tradespeople on a building site, you are often looking not for one large holiday apartment but for several separate rooms with a shared kitchen. For these cases we have a separate page on workers’ accommodation in Munich.

In big cities, supply is tighter than in the countryside, because many hosts prefer short lets. If you are looking for holiday apartments in Munich for several months, it is best to ask early and directly for a monthly price, rather than only browsing search filters for individual nights.

Renting a holiday apartment long term: pros and cons

Being able to rent a holiday apartment long term sounds convenient, and it often is. But there are points that do not matter on a short break and can start to grate after eight weeks.

Pros	Cons
ready to move into, with kitchen, bed linen and towels	usually more expensive per month than an unfurnished rental flat
bills and Wi-Fi usually included in the price	less protection against termination than a regular tenancy
no furniture, no removal van	furnished for holidays: small wardrobe, little storage space
flexible period, often from one month	hard to get or only partly available in high season

The most common complaint after a few weeks is storage space. A holiday apartment is designed for one suitcase, not for a winter coat, sports kit and paperwork. So ask about wardrobe space, a cellar compartment or a storage room before committing to three months.

Costs: monthly rate, bills and cleaning

For a long term holiday rental, most hosts no longer charge per night but per month. The monthly rent for a holiday apartment is generally lower than the nightly rate times 30, because the host has fewer changeovers, fewer cleans and no empty nights between two bookings. Each host sets the size of the discount themselves; there are no fixed rates.

What the monthly rate should include

Ask specifically which services are included in the price. Electricity, heating, water, Wi-Fi and the basics such as bed linen and towels are usual. For very long stays, some hosts charge electricity by meter reading or agree a monthly flat fee, particularly with a fan heater in winter or an air conditioning unit in summer.

• Final cleaning: usually charged once at the end, not monthly.
• Mid-stay cleaning: weekly or fortnightly, either included or at extra cost depending on the offer.
• Linen changes: fresh bed linen and towels at fixed intervals, or you do your own washing.
• Deposit: more common for longer stays than for short breaks, refunded after the final inspection.
• Payment: often the first month on booking, then monthly in advance.

If you register a secondary residence in a city, you should also bear in mind the second home tax (Zweitwohnungsteuer) that many cities levy, Munich included. Whether it applies in your case depends on your registration and contract; the city lists the amount and exemptions on its official website.

Which contract applies to a long-term rental?

For guests, the type of contract is less exciting than price and location, but it determines notice periods and your rights. With a classic holiday apartment, you either sign a contract for accommodation with hotel-like services or a tenancy agreement for living space for temporary use. In both cases, the strict tenant protection rules of a regular flat usually do not apply, for example regarding protection against termination or the rent cap (Mietpreisbremse).

The longer the stay, the more likely it is that, in the event of a dispute, it may be questioned whether it is still genuinely temporary use. We explain the differences between these types of contract and a fixed-term lease in Germany in a separate guide. In practice, it is usually enough to read before signing until when you may stay, how you can terminate early and what applies to an extension. This information is general guidance and not legal advice.

Registering after six months? The registration requirement for holiday apartments

Many guests ask whether they need to register their address when staying long term in a holiday apartment. Under the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz), the simplified rule is this: if you are already registered at an address in Germany, you only need to register an additional accommodation if your stay lasts longer than six months. If you are not registered anywhere in Germany, for example when moving from abroad, you must register after just three months.

Once registration is due, you have two weeks to complete it. You will then need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation of residence), issued by the landlord or operator of the holiday apartment. Check when booking whether the host is willing to provide this, as some private landlords are reluctant to issue confirmations for their holiday apartment.

Whether you register the holiday apartment as your main or secondary residence depends on where you mainly live. If you are only here for a project and go home at weekends, you will usually register a secondary residence. Information correct as of October 2026; if in doubt, the local citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro) can give you a definitive answer.

Long term holiday rental: where to search and what to look for

If you want to rent a holiday apartment long term, the large booking platforms often only show nightly rates, which look off-putting when multiplied over several months. It works better to contact the host directly, call regional agencies or search the classified ads. Include your dates, number of people and reason for the stay in your enquiry, and you are more likely to receive a concrete monthly offer.

If you are looking for a long-term holiday rental in Bavaria, you will have most luck outside the main season. In the Allgäu, the Chiemgau or the Bavarian Forest, hosts are happy to let for several months between autumn and spring. In cities such as Munich, demand is high all year round, especially during trade fairs and Oktoberfest. If you are coming to Munich for a trade fair, you will find advice on accommodation for Messe Munich on a separate page.

Internet and workspace

For a holiday, Wi-Fi good enough for browsing is fine; for three months of working from home it is not. Ask about the bandwidth and whether the Wi-Fi stays stable in the evening when the building is full. After a week at the kitchen counter, a proper desk with a suitable chair is worth more than a large TV.

Washing machine and kitchen

Without a washing machine, a long stay becomes hard work. Check whether there is a machine in the apartment or the building and whether detergent is provided. In the kitchen, take a look at the hob, oven and fridge: a kitchenette with two hotplates is fine for a weekend, but not for everyday life.

Post and parcels

On a long-term stay, letters, bank cards and parcels will arrive. Ask whether your name can go on the letterbox and doorbell, and who accepts parcels when you are out. A mail redirection with Deutsche Post for the duration of your stay saves you lost letters.

Checklist for a long term holiday rental

Use this list to go through the key points before you commit. Get the answers in writing, especially regarding price, services and notice.

1. Monthly rate and total price for the whole period, including all fees
2. Bills: electricity, heating, water, Wi-Fi included or separate?
3. Cleaning: final cleaning, mid-stay cleaning, linen changes, each with a price
4. Deposit: amount, refund, final inspection
5. Contract: term, extension, early termination
6. Registration: will the landlord issue a confirmation?
7. Workspace and Wi-Fi speed
8. Washing machine, tumble dryer or clothes horse
9. Storage: wardrobes, cellar, space for a bike or sports equipment
10. Post: name on the letterbox, parcel acceptance
11. Parking or bus and rail connections

If you are arriving by car, sort out parking in advance. In city centres, apartments rarely come with a parking space, and in many cities residents’ parking permits are only available to registered residents.

Alternatives to a long-term holiday apartment

Not everyone looking for a holiday apartment for several months is best served by one. For a few weeks as a student or young professional, a room in a shared flat is often much cheaper, although you share the bathroom and kitchen. How the search works and what a flatshare in Munich costs is covered in our guide.

There are also buildings with serviced apartments that are designed for longer stays from the outset, with monthly rates, washing machines in the building and cleaning at fixed intervals. And if you are staying longer than six months, a regular rented flat is usually cheaper and gives you better legal protection in the long run, even if the search takes longer.

In eight years of working with serviced apartments, Daniel Schulz has observed a simple rule of thumb: the longer the stay, the more important a washing machine, workspace and storage become, and the less important it is to be right next to the sights.

Conclusion

A long term holiday rental is worthwhile for projects, relocations and transitional periods of one to around six months, provided the monthly rate, bills, cleaning and registration have been agreed in writing beforehand. If you are staying longer or need more of an everyday home, also take a look at furnished apartments in Munich.

Frequently asked questions about long term holiday rentals

What does long term holiday rental mean?

A long-term rental means renting a holiday apartment not for a few nights but for at least around a month at a time, often for several months. You are then usually charged a monthly rate instead of a nightly rate, and cleaning, linen and bills are handled differently from a short break.

From when does a holiday apartment stay count as long term?

There is no fixed threshold. Many hosts speak of a long-term rental from four weeks and offer monthly rates from then on. For the registration requirement, however, different thresholds apply, namely three or six months.

Do I have to register my address for a long-term holiday rental?

If you are already registered in Germany, you generally only need to register an additional accommodation if your stay lasts longer than six months. Without a registered address in Germany, the requirement applies after just three months. You must then register within two weeks with a confirmation from the landlord (as of October 2026, not legal advice).

Is a holiday apartment for several months cheaper than a hotel?

Usually yes. For longer stays, many hosts offer monthly rates below the nightly rate times the number of nights, and with your own kitchen you save on restaurants and breakfast. Even so, always compare the total price including cleaning, linen and deposit.

Are bills included in a long-term holiday let?

In most offers, electricity, heating, water and Wi-Fi are included in the price. For very long stays, some hosts charge electricity by meter reading or agree a flat fee. Get written confirmation of what the monthly rate covers before booking.

Can you rent a holiday apartment permanently and live there?

For a transitional period yes, as a permanent solution not really. A holiday apartment is generally let for temporary use, so the full protection against termination of a regular tenancy usually does not apply. If you are permanently relocating, you should look for a regular flat at the same time.

Is there a discount if I rent a holiday apartment long term?

Often yes, but each host decides how much. Weekly and monthly discounts or a fixed monthly rate on request are common. Ask directly for an offer covering your entire period rather than simply multiplying the nightly rate.