For those looking for a retirement community that offers a wide range of activities and caters to all different types of people, The Villages in Florida has become a popular destination. The community is made up of many neighborhoods in a variety of styles with recreational activities, restaurants, and shops, and almost anything you would need in your day-to-day life.
Can you rent by the month at The Villages in Florida? If you are considering living at The Villages as a renter, it is possible to rent by the month, but it can be difficult to find plenty of options depending on the time of year. The by-month policy is dependent on the property owners that rent their homes, and these can fill up quickly in the busy season.
Renting at The Villages in Florida is an excellent way to determine if the community is right for you. Renting properties by the month is based on availability and property owner preference. We’ll breakdown where you can find properties to rent by the month at The Villages as well as other important rental information and opportunities in the community.
Renting By The Month at The Villages in Florida
Renting at The Villages has become a great alternative to buying a property yourself if you are able to find a place in advance. Especially because renting by the month gives a property owner less notice of your potential leaving or may include multiple renters throughout the year, some of your best monthly rental options include vacation and short-term rentals.
Opportunities for Monthly Rental at The Villages
The best places to start looking for monthly rentals are on popular rental sites, which include vacation rentals (allowing for greater flexibility) and short-term rentals (which can be by the month depending on the property owner. We’ll break these two categories down further so you know what to look for and what you should expect with each option.
Vacation Rentals
Vacation rentals are flexible because they can be rented nightly, weekly, or on a longer-term basis. Looking into the vacation rental option at The Villages is going to give you the greatest rates of success for rentals by the month. This is because they are designed for renting over a shorter period of time, where the properties are more flexible.
You will need to check availability well in advance before renting on properties, especially if you plan to stay for an extended period of time. Because some people may only choose to stay for a week or so, this may prevent you from booking an entire month rental at certain times of the year. Looking into rentals almost a year in advance should give you your ideal selection.
These are some additional things you should consider with renting by the month at a vacation rental:
- Increased Expenses: You may be paying a higher rate for renting by the month on a vacation rental as the turnover is higher. If you want to stay for a month or so, you could consider asking if the rate is different for longer rentals. You can see if fees can be waived or negotiated after you’ve shopped around.
- Busy Times of the Year: Expect to pay more or have more difficulty finding places to rent in the high season. This is typically through the winter and spring before Florida gets very hot and humid.
- Variety of Homes: The great thing about The Villages is a large number of properties and variety of properties that exist. There are plenty of neighborhoods to choose from based on your preference in home type as well as proximity to activities and amenities in the community.
- Amenities: A large advantage of renting through a vacation rental is the potential amenities that the property may include. Many of these homes will have golf carts that you can use while living there. This could allow you to get to some of the town squares and nearby activities more easily.
- Shop Around: To find the best deal and make sure you see all of your options, we recommend shopping around on different sites. This will give you a better idea of what you want out of a rental and make sure that you have plenty of choices for by monthly rental opportunities.
Some of the best places to look for these vacation rentals include The Villages Hometown Property Management (The Village’s rental company), Airbnb, VRBO, VacationRentals.com, and VillagersHomes4Rent. These will provide you with plenty of rental opportunities that will range in their availability as well as rental length. Many of them allow for monthly rentals.
Short-Term Leases
Short-term leases are also another way to go for renting by the month. You may find less flexibility with these rentals as property owners may be wanting to rent out their homes for longer and more committed time periods. This will require you contacting the homeowner to see their flexibility in renting by the month.
There are plenty of resources for finding short-term leases, many of which can be found on the same sites you would look for renting any home. This will provide you with the details about the home as well as the availability of moving into the property.
You can check out The Villages Hometown Property Management, Zillow, Trulia, your favorite rental search sites, or even contact local property management and realty companies to find exactly what you are looking for.
Monthly Rates Fluctuate at The Villages
One of the largest draws to a retirement community in Florida is the weather. Typically, the best weather in Florida lasts from March through May before it gets too hot and humid! The wintertime can also be pleasant compared to other areas of the country, but it can still be cold, especially near January.
The weather has a large impact on the monthly rates at The Villages because more people are likely to flock to the Sunshine State in the spring. If you are planning on renting at The Villages, expect to pay the most in January through May, the least during the summer, with rates beginning to rise again in the late fall. Summer is considered the ‘off-season’ and the least expensive.
If price is an important factor in renting at The Villages, we recommend looking at the off-season or into the fall. While this may not be the most desirable weather time to visit Florida, the rental rates will be the cheapest. If you plan to stay multiple months and are renting by the month, expect prices to change per month, depending on the time of the year.
Monthly Rentals at The Villages
Renting by the month at The Villages may make the most sense to you if you are considering moving to Florida for parts of the year and want to see what it’s like. The Villages offers a full community experience in addition to a home, making it a great place to build a life with plenty of activities. You may want to check it out with a monthly rental before a larger commitment. I have more information about other housing and condos in The Villages.
There is no short supply of rentals at The Villages, but the key is to look early to make sure you can rent the property out for the month (or months) that you desire. These can fill up fast as many others have the same idea and want to get their plans locked down for the upcoming year. You should not run into issues renting by the month if you are early and proactive.
