Flatio is the new solution for every landlord in South Africa to easily rent out their flats. Flatio specializes in mid-term rentals, meaning flat rentals from one to twelve months. Flatio has only advantages for landlords renting out in Johannesburg because we combine the pros of the long-term and short-term rentals. Flatio operates worldwide and serves both tenants and landlords. We offer the best experience for people who want to rent a property online for a few months.
Interested in more detail about mid-term rentals at
Flatio?
Check our knowledge base for landlords and figure out how you can easily rent
out your flat in Johannesburg.
Short-term | Mid-term | |
Length of stay | 1 to 14 nights | 1 to 12 months |
Time consumption | Extremely high | Low |
Daily communication with tenants | Yes | No |
Can you do it if you have a full-time job | With difficulty | Easily |
Typical tenant | Tourists, parties | Business travelers, expats, students, digital nomads, young professionals, locals |
Rent payments in advance | No | Yes |
Lease agreement | No | Yes |
Wear and tear on property | High | Low |
Disturbing neighbours | Common | Rare |
Local restrictions and taxes | Common | Rare |
High season | 4–8, 12 (Easter, Christmas, Summer) | 1–4, 9–11 |
Feel free to ask us anything you need to know about renting out your property for a few months.
Are you looking for a flat to rent in Johannesburg? Follow this link to find the best accommodation in Johannesburg for you.
Are you a company operating in Johannesburg and looking for the opportunity to easily rent apartments for your employees just for a few months? See more information about the Flatio for business program.
Tenants who are seeking mid-term rentals want the routine, stability and independence of a long-term rental without the obligations of connecting utility services or purchasing furniture. That freedom is worth a lot to them, and they expect to pay a slightly higher monthly rate for mid-term rentals than they would for a year-long rental. Mid-term tenants typically ask less of their landlords than short-term tenants, too. For example, they are responsible for doing their own daily and weekly chores so you won’t need to arrange frequent cleaning for your property. And, while they are sure to appreciate your local knowledge, they usually don’t need your help for long!
That's right – listing your apartment on Flatio is free of charge. We only ask for a commission once a tenant rents your flat.
You probably have experience with websites like Booking.com, VRBO, Flipkey, Expedia, Hotel.com, Tripadvisor, Spotahome, Uniplaces or HomeAway. They are worth trying because they are similar to Booking.com. But only if you still want to rent out your property to tourists for their vacation in Johannesburg. If you want to keep communicating every day with new tenants and spend a huge amount of time cleaning, changing sheets/towels and doing laundry, then keep renting with them.
But if you are looking for a true alternative to Booking.com you should question if short-term rentals are really the best for you. Because using another vacation rental site means you are still in the short-term rental business with all the pros and cons (like local regulations and taxes in Johannesburg or unhappy neighbors). If you want a real alternative, you should start renting to a mid-term rental market. This means renting out your property for 1 to 12 months to completely different travelers than tourists. You’ll mostly encounter business managers, IT specialists, expats, digital nomads or young professionals. Simply stated, they’re people like you who want to stay in Johannesburg for several months because they have a job opportunity or just love living in Johannesburg while working remotely.
Start with the true alternative to Booking.com right now and join thousands of landlords at flatio.com, the best solution for mid-term rentals.
Comparing | Flatio | Outcome | Airbnb |
Who are the tenants | Business travelers, expats, students, digital nomads, young professionals, locals | not equal | Tourists |
Length of stay (in general) | 1 to 12 months | not equal | 1 to 14 days |
Amenities in the flat | Fully equipped with internet | equal | Fully equipped with internet |
Legal aspect | Multilanguage lease agreement | not equal | Terms and conditions |
Local restrictions | Low | not equal | High |
Time commitment | Once every few months | not equal | Every day |
Online solution | Whole process online | equal | Whole process online |
VR tours of apartments | Yes | not equal | No |
Rent payment in advance | Yes | equal | Yes |
Simple rules for a few month’s stay | Yes, set by Flatio | not equal | You have to negotiate with the tenant |
Customer support | Easily accessible via chat, mail or telephone | not equal | Hard to get in touch with someone in person |
Cleanings | Done by the tenant | not equal | Done by you/your staff |
Messaging with potential tenant | From time to time | not equal | Every day |
Handing over the keys/apartments | Several times a year | not equal | Several times a week |
Risk of disturbing your neighbours | Low | not equal | High |
Recurring payments | Yes, automated | not equal | No |
High Season | 4–8, 12 (Easter, Christmas, Summer) | not equal | 1–4, 9–11 |
See the examples of flats landlords usually offer with Flatio. Is your apartment located in Johannesburg, or similar or an even better location? Don’t waste your time and start advertising with Flatio right now. It’s free!
From contract templates to all other documents you need to rent your flat, we've got you covered. You can also trust our Damage Coverage Guarantee and tenants' recommendations from other apartment owners.
For each apartment you rent on Flatio, we establish a 10,000 EUR fund to cover all emergency costs and unexpected damage.
Leave all the legal stuff to us. We provide you with a verified lease agreement available in multiple languages.
We ask all landlords for feedback on their tenants so you know in advance what to expect from them.
Flatio is the clever way to rent. We connect landlords in cities all over the world with tenants looking for a home from a month to a year, simplify paperwork, and secure payments.
We started Flatio after years of experience renting properties to students and young professionals. We understand how important it is for landlords to make their property attractive to the right tenants, and for tenants to select the best local neighborhood and amenities for their needs. We set out to use the latest technology and security to automate the rental process, from painless first contact between tenant and owner to a satisfied key handover when the tenant moves out. And even though we operate in many cities internationally, we get to know each location advertised on our site in great detail so that we can help landlords and tenants find the perfect match.
We know that renting a property requires a lot of trust — from both sides! — and so we have made our rules and rental agreements as fair as possible so that both tenants and landlords are in a strong, secure position. The rental contract is between the landlord and the tenant but, like a good neighbour, we’re here to help whenever necessary.
Check out our blog, where you can find posts about mid-term rentals, interviews with other landlords, tips for hassle-free renting, news about Flatio improvements and much more!
That's right – listing your apartment on Flatio is free of charge. We only ask for a commission once a tenant rents your flat.