A short let, or shortlet, can last anything from one night to a few months. There is no single fixed length. It is a furnished home you pay for by the night, the week or the month, and each host decides the shortest and longest stay they will take.
This guide explains the usual lengths, how nights are counted, what decides how long you can stay, and the point where renting a home for a year starts to make more sense.
The short answer
Shortlet stays fall into four rough groups:
| Length | What people call it | Common reasons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 nights | A night away, a weekend | Weddings, parties, business trips, a night near the airport |
| 4 nights to 2 weeks | A week or two | Holidays, work projects, family visits, Christmas at home |
| 2 weeks to 3 months | A monthly shortlet | Relocating, house-hunting, a work contract, a renovation at home |
| 3 months or more | A long stay | Long projects, visitors from abroad, waiting for a new home |
The one rule that never changes is how nights are counted. You pay for each night you sleep there. Check in on Friday afternoon and check out on Sunday morning, and that is 2 nights. The day you leave is not a night.
Shortlets usually have a check-in time in the afternoon and a check-out time in the late morning. So a “one-night” stay gives you an evening, a night and a morning, not a full 24 hours.
Shortlet or short-term let? The words explained
People write it in many ways: short let, shortlet, short-let or short-term let. They all mean the same thing. It is a furnished home you rent for a short stay, with the furniture, the kitchen things and usually the bills included.
- A serviced apartment is a shortlet with services added, such as regular cleaning or a caretaker.
- A holiday let is a shortlet booked for a holiday or a trip home.
- A furnished flat for rent is usually different. It is often a long let, paid a year at a time.
Counting your nights
Before you book, count the nights, not the days. These examples show how:
| You arrive | You leave | Nights you pay for |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Sunday | 2 (Friday and Saturday) |
| Monday | the next Monday | 7 |
| 1 December | 1 January | 31 |
If you land late on the first day or fly out early on the last, the count does not change. You still pay for the nights you hold the home.
One night to a week
One or two nights is the shortest kind of shortlet stay. A few things are worth knowing before you book one:
- Some hosts do not take one-night stays. They may ask for two or more nights, especially at weekends or around big events.
- One-off fees weigh more. A cleaning fee is usually charged once per stay. Over one night it is a big part of the bill. Over a week it barely shows.
- The caution deposit is the same. It is refundable, but you still need the money up front, even for one night.
- Busy dates fill first. Weekends, public holidays and December go early.
For a stay of a week, look out for a weekly price or a discount for seven nights or more. A week in one place is often better value than hopping between homes.
Weeks and months
A monthly shortlet is a good fit when you need a furnished home now, but not for a whole year. People book them while they relocate, work on a contract, repair their own house or visit family from abroad.
For a stay of weeks or months, ask the host:
- Is there a discount for a longer stay? Some hosts offer a percentage off, or a free night after a set number of nights.
- What is included? Power hours, fuel for the generator, water, Wi-Fi and prepaid electricity units.
- How often is it cleaned? And are fresh towels and bed linen part of the deal?
- Is there a washing machine? You will need one on a long stay.
- Can you stay longer if you need to? And what happens if you leave early?
Serviced apartments suit these stays well, because cleaning and other services are part of the price. See serviced apartments in Lagos and serviced apartments in Abuja, or browse shortlets in Lagos and shortlets in Abuja.
Planning a month or more in Lagos? See monthly shortlets in Lagos.
A stay of one to three months also needs a few things agreed in writing:
- whether you pay for the whole stay at once, or in parts;
- who pays for prepaid electricity units and generator fuel after the first week;
- when the home is cleaned, and when towels and bed linen are changed;
- who fixes things that break, and how fast;
- whether friends or family can visit or stay over.
What decides how long you can stay
Four things set the limits on any shortlet:
- The host’s minimum stay. The fewest nights you can book.
- The host’s longest stay. The most nights you can book in one go.
- The free dates in the calendar. A stay cannot run through a night someone else has booked, or a night the host has closed.
- How far ahead the host takes bookings. Some open their calendar a year ahead. Others open a few months.
If the stay you want is longer than the listing allows, ask the host. Some are happy to agree a longer stay directly. Others keep a limit so they can use the home themselves.
On Cabans, a shortlet that takes online bookings shows its limits under the calendar. You see “Minimum stay” when it is more than 1 night, and “Longest stay” when it is under 90 nights. If your dates do not fit, the calendar tells you, for example “The minimum stay is 2 nights.” Hosts can allow anything from 1 to 731 nights, and guests can book up to a year ahead unless the host chooses otherwise.
Longer stays can also bring offers such as “7+ nights, 10% off” or “Stay 5 nights, get 1 free”. You get whichever saves you more, never both. See how to check dates and the price for a stay.
When a yearly rent makes more sense
Somewhere past a few months, renting a home for a year usually costs less per month than a shortlet. But it asks more of you up front. Here is how they compare:
| Shortlet | Yearly rent | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | By the night, week or month | Usually a year in advance |
| Extra costs to move in | A cleaning fee and a refundable caution deposit, if the host sets them | Agency fee, legal or agreement fee and caution deposit |
| Furniture | Fully furnished | Usually unfurnished |
| Bills | Often included, but ask | You set up and pay your own |
| Leaving | At the end of your booking | Tied in until the lease ends |
| Cost per month | Usually higher | Usually lower |
A yearly rent is usually the better choice when:
- you plan to stay six months or more;
- you want your own furniture and your own address;
- you can afford the rent and the move-in fees in one go;
- you have already found the area you want, and seen it on a weekday, at the weekend and after dark.
A shortlet is the better choice when your plans may change, you need to move in this week, or you do not know the city yet. You can also do both: a shortlet first, then a yearly rent once you know where you want to live. Our guide on where to stay while you house-hunt in Lagos explains how, and move-in costs in Nigeria shows the full bill for a yearly rent. Weighing up a stay of one to six months? See monthly shortlet or rent a flat, or our wider comparison of shortlet or long let for renters.
Pick your dates
Find a shortlet you can book and check each host’s shortest and longest stay against your plans. Own a furnished flat that sits empty between tenants? List your short let on Cabans and choose the stay lengths that suit you.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a shortlet in Nigeria?
Anything from one night to a few months. A weekend, a week and a month are common lengths. Each host sets the shortest and the longest stay they will accept, so check the listing.
Is 6 months a short-term rental?
It can be, if the host allows stays that long, but it is at the far end. For six months or more, a yearly rent often costs less per month, although it needs more money up front.
What is a short term let?
A furnished home you rent for a short stay and pay for by the night, the week or the month. The furniture, kitchen items and often power, water and Wi-Fi are included, and you leave on the date you booked.
Can I rent a shortlet per month?
Yes, where the host allows stays of a month or more. Some hosts give a discount for longer stays. Ask what is included, such as cleaning, power and fuel, before you book.
What is the minimum stay for a shortlet?
It depends on the host. Some accept one night. Others ask for two or more, often at weekends or in busy seasons. The listing tells you.
Can I extend a shortlet stay?
Only if the host agrees and the next nights are still free. Ask as early as you can, before someone else books them.
How are shortlet nights counted?
By the nights you sleep there. Check in on Friday and check out on Sunday, and that is 2 nights. The morning you leave is not a night you pay for.
Related guides
What is a shortlet? · Where to stay while you house-hunt · Serviced apartment vs hotel · Shortlet vs hotel in Lagos · Move-in costs in Nigeria
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