A short-term rental in Hanoi can mean a few nights or a few months, and the right kind depends on how long you are staying and how much setting up you want to do. Here are the three options, which suits which stay, and what to check before you pay.
Your three options
Each trades flexibility against cost in a different way.
- Serviced apartments. Rent, bills, wifi and cleaning in one price, furnished and ready to live in. The simplest choice for a few weeks or a few months, and the dearest per month.
- Homes let by the night. Some owners let a furnished apartment by the night as well as by the month. You pay a nightly rate with no long commitment, which suits your first weeks while you look for somewhere permanent.
- A short lease. Some landlords will sign for less than a year, usually at a higher monthly rent than a full-year lease. It is always worth asking.
Which suits your stay
The longer you stay, the more a lease wins on cost.
- A few nights to a few weeks: a home let by the night, or a serviced apartment
- A few months: a serviced apartment, or a short lease if you find the right home
- Most of a year or longer: a lease is usually cheaper, even once you have furnished it
Serviced apartment or lease works through where the break-even sits.
What to check before you book
A short stay is still a rental, and the same few questions save the same arguments.
- What the price includes: electricity, water, internet, cleaning and the building’s management fee
- The shortest stay the owner accepts, and the notice you give to leave
- The deposit, and when it comes back
- Whether the owner will register your stay with the police, which foreigners need even for a short stay
- That the home is the one in the photos: view it, or ask for a live video call, before you pay
Our guides to tạm trú, registering your address, and to apartment scams explain the last two.
Finding one on Nest
Many Nest homes in Hanoi can be let by the night as well as by the month. Search Hanoi homes available short-term to see every one with its nightly rate, or start with serviced apartments in Hanoi. Every Nest home is inspected in person, the owner is verified, and you never pay a tenant agency fee.
When you decide to stay
Most people who arrive on a short-term rental move to a lease once they know the city. Our Moving to Hanoi checklist sets out the order, and when you are ready, search Hanoi homes on Nest.
Find your apartment the safe way
Verified listings, transparent all-in pricing, contracts in your language, and no tenant agency fees. Browse homes or talk to a Nest advisor.
