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Short-Term or Long-Term Rental?

See how projected annual income from a vacation rental compares to a traditional 12-month lease for your San Diego property.

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Short-Term vs Long-Term Rental Calculator

Compare projected annual income from a traditional lease versus a vacation rental for your San Diego property.

Long-Term Rental Scenario
$
What a traditional 12-month tenant would pay.
% of year
Typical San Diego long-term vacancy runs 4 to 7 percent.
Short-Term Rental Scenario
$
Blended rate across peak and off-season nights.
% of nights booked
San Diego coastal STRs typically run 60 to 75 percent occupied.
% of revenue
Cleaning, supplies, platform fees, utilities, management. Self-hosted runs 15 to 20 percent; full-service hosted runs 25 to 35 percent.
Annual Net Income Comparison
Long-Term Rental
Traditional Lease
Gross Income$42,000
Vacancy Loss-$2,100
Net $39,900
Short-Term Rental
Vacation Rental
Gross Income$58,116
Operating Costs-$16,272
Net $41,844
STR Earns More +$1,944

At these numbers, STR pulls ahead by $1,944 per year, but the trade-off is real: more turnovers, more communication, more cleaning fees, and stricter San Diego permit rules. Worth it if you have a manager handling logistics.

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Estimates only. San Diego’s short-term rental ordinances cap whole-home STR licenses in coastal zones and may require Tier 4 permits. Actual income depends on permitting, seasonality, marketing, and management approach. We do not factor in furniture investment or financing costs.

Short-term rentals can out-earn a traditional lease, but San Diego’s permit rules are strict, especially in coastal zones, and the workload is real: turnovers, cleaning, guest communication, and dynamic pricing. A long-term lease trades some upside for stability and far less hands-on management.

Red House’s main focus is on unfurnished long term rentals (1 year minimums) in San Diego. We have managed short term rentals in the past and would be happy to refer you our trusted partners in short term management if needed.

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