For a stay of one to six months, a monthly shortlet is usually the simpler choice. It is furnished, many bills are included, and you do not pay a year of rent up front. For a year or more, renting a flat usually costs less each month, but you need much more money at the start.
This guide helps you decide. It compares what each option really costs you at the start, what is included, how flexible each one is, and which suits common situations, from a new job to a family visit.
How long is “short term”?
There is no single line everyone agrees on. In everyday talk, a shortlet (or short let) can be one night, a week or several months. A yearly let is a normal tenancy. Between the two sits the “monthly shortlet”: a furnished home booked for one to six months.
So is six months short term? For most people, yes. But the name matters less than the deal. Ask yourself:
- Am I booking fixed dates, with a price for the whole stay? That is a shortlet.
- Am I signing a tenancy for a year, and paying rent in advance? That is a yearly let.
Each host decides the shortest and longest stay they accept. Some welcome month-long guests. Others prefer short visits. Always check before you plan around a home. Our guide to how long a shortlet can be explains the usual lengths and how nights are counted.
On Cabans, the listing’s booking box shows a “Minimum stay” and a “Longest stay” when the host has set them. If your dates are too long, the calendar tells you: for example, “The maximum stay is 30 nights.”
What a month in a shortlet includes
A monthly shortlet is ready to live in from day one. It usually comes with:
- furniture, beds, linen and towels;
- a kitchen with a cooker, fridge, pots and plates;
- Wi-Fi, and often a TV subscription;
- power backup, such as a generator, inverter or solar;
- water, and estate security;
- sometimes regular cleaning.
But “included” means different things to different hosts. For a long stay, ask exact questions:
- How many hours of power a day, and who pays for fuel or electricity units?
- How often is the home cleaned, and are linen changes included?
- What happens if the internet, pump or generator fails?
- Can I have visitors, and can I work from the home?
The price itself has three parts: the nights, a cleaning fee charged once, and a refundable caution deposit. Many hosts also give a lower rate for a week or a month. Compare the total for your whole stay, discount included.
On Cabans, a host can offer up to three longer-stay discounts, such as “7+ nights, 10% off”, or a free-nights offer. You get whichever saves you more, never both. The cleaning fee and the caution deposit are never discounted. The “Price Breakdown” shows the discount before you pay.
Start your search with shortlet apartments in Lagos or shortlet apartments in Abuja. For work trips, serviced apartments in Lagos are also worth a look.
What a yearly rent really costs up front
Renting a flat looks cheaper month by month. But the money you need on day one is much bigger. A new tenant in Nigeria usually faces:
- Rent in advance. Usually a year at a time, and some landlords ask for more.
- Agency and legal fees, if you rent through an agent.
- A caution fee, held by the landlord against damage.
- Service charge, in many estates and blocks of flats.
- Furniture and appliances, because most flats come empty.
- Setting up: a prepaid meter, internet, a generator or inverter, curtains and moving costs.
Add those up before you compare. Move-in costs when renting in Nigeria explains each fee, and the total cost of renting a flat in Lagos works through full examples.
A fair way to compare is the total cost over your real stay. For the shortlet: the whole booking. For the flat: everything above, plus monthly bills, less what you could sell the furniture for when you leave.
Flexibility and risk
| Question | Monthly shortlet | Yearly rent |
|---|---|---|
| Can I leave early? | You booked fixed dates. Early leaving is usually not refunded, unless the host agrees. | You are tied to the tenancy. Rent paid is usually not returned. |
| Can I stay longer? | Only if the host agrees and the dates are free. | Yes, if you renew with the landlord. |
| Who fixes things? | The host. Tell them and they arrange it. | Often you, for small repairs. |
| Does the price change? | Prices can change with the season, so book your whole stay at once. | Fixed for the year, then renegotiated. |
| How settled does it feel? | Comfortable, but it is someone else’s home. | Your own space, set up your way. |
One more risk: December. If your stay runs into the holidays, book the whole period at once. Late bookers often find the best homes taken, and prices higher.
On Cabans, you can ask to change your dates or guests before you arrive. Once you are checked in, you can ask to extend your stay. The host must approve, and the extra dates must be free. You pay for the extra nights online through Paystack. If you leave early, the unused nights are not refunded unless the host approves a refund.
How to change your dates or guests shows each step. Staying in Lagos? See monthly shortlets in Lagos, or find a shortlet you can book online anywhere.
A simple way to compare the two
Put both options side by side for the same length of stay. Use your real quotes, and fill in the blanks:
| Cost over your whole stay | Monthly shortlet | Rent a flat |
|---|---|---|
| The stay or the rent you must pay | ₦________ | ₦________ |
| Agency, legal and other move-in fees | none | ₦________ |
| Furniture and appliances | none | ₦________ |
| Power, water and internet for the stay | ₦________ (if not included) | ₦________ |
| Cleaning fee, or your own cleaning | ₦________ | ₦________ |
| Total over your stay | ₦________ | ₦________ |
Two notes. Deposits come back, so leave them out of the total, but make sure you have the cash. And rent is usually paid for a whole year, even if you only need the flat for part of it. Count what you will actually pay, not the monthly figure.
Before you book a long shortlet stay, ask the host:
- Is there a desk and a good chair, if you will work from home?
- How fast is the internet, and is there a backup if it fails?
- Will anyone else have a key, and when might they come in?
- Can post or deliveries come to the address?
Which to choose, by situation
| Your situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New job in a new city, 1 to 3 months to find a home | Monthly shortlet | Move in at once, then house-hunt without pressure. |
| Work project of 3 to 6 months | Monthly shortlet | No furniture to buy, and nothing left behind when it ends. |
| Family visiting for the holidays | Shortlet | Space for everyone, and a kitchen, for just the dates you need. |
| Home from abroad, not sure how long | Shortlet first | Try the area before you commit to a year. |
| Moving for good, with the money for start-up costs | Rent a flat | Over a year or more, it usually costs less per month. |
| Long stay on a tight monthly budget | Rent a flat, or a shared flat | Lower monthly cost, if you can find the money up front. |
Many people do both: a shortlet for the first month or two, then a flat once they know the city. Relocating to Lagos and relocating to Abuja cover that path.
See monthly shortlets you can book in Lagos, or look in a single area such as Lekki, Ikeja or Wuse 2. Own a furnished flat that could host monthly guests? List your short let.
Frequently asked questions
Is 6 months a short-term rental?
In everyday use, yes: most people call anything under a year short term, and a stay of a few months is often called a monthly or long-stay shortlet. What matters more is the agreement you make. A shortlet is booked by the night for fixed dates. A yearly let is a tenancy with its own agreement.
Is a monthly shortlet cheaper than renting a flat?
It depends on how long you stay. A shortlet usually costs more per month, but you pay far less at the start: no year of rent, no agency or legal fees, and no furniture to buy. For a few months, a shortlet often costs less in total. For a year or more, renting usually wins, if you can pay the start-up costs.
Do shortlets give discounts for a month?
Some hosts give a lower rate for longer stays, such as a week or a month. Ask before you book, and compare the total for your whole stay with the discount included.
Are bills included in a monthly shortlet?
Often, but not always. Ask exactly what is included: electricity and fuel, water, internet, a TV subscription, and how often the home is cleaned. Some hosts include power only up to a limit, or ask long-stay guests to buy their own electricity units.
What happens to my caution deposit after a long stay?
It works the same as on a short stay. The host checks the home after you leave and returns the deposit, less the cost of any damage they can show. Normal wear from living there for a month is not damage. Take photos when you arrive and when you leave.
Do I sign a tenancy agreement for a monthly shortlet?
A shortlet is usually booked for fixed dates, with the price, deposit and rules agreed at booking, not with a yearly tenancy agreement. Whatever you book, keep the terms in writing: dates, total price, caution deposit, what is included and the cancellation terms.
Can I extend my shortlet stay on Cabans?
Yes, if the host approves and the extra dates are free. Once you are checked in, you can ask the host to extend your stay. You pay for the extra nights online through Paystack. Before you arrive, you can ask to change your dates instead.
Related guides
Move-in costs when renting · Total cost of renting in Lagos · Shortlet prices in Nigeria · Short let vs hotel · Relocating to Lagos · Renting in Lagos · Shortlet or long let: which should you rent?
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