Rental Arbitrage Deal Comparison
Compare up to three units side by side and see which one survives a bad month.
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When you have more than one unit in view, the one with the biggest monthly profit is not always the best lease to sign. This tool puts up to three units side by side and ranks them by how they hold up when bookings fall.
How to Use It
- For each unit, enter rent, nightly rate, occupancy, other monthly costs and the cash needed to start.
- Set the platform fee once for all units.
- Read the table, then run the leading unit through the full rental arbitrage calculator.
Worked Example
The example compares three units:
- Unit C has the highest profit on paper, about $1,410 a month. In the worst case, with occupancy 15 points lower and the rate 10% lower, it loses about $131 a month.
- Unit B earns less, about $1,141, but still makes about $195 in the worst case. It also needs the least cash to start and pays it back in about 7.5 months.
- Unit A loses about $392 a month in the worst case.
Unit B is the safer lease. Unit C only wins if bookings stay strong for the full lease term.
What to Look at Beyond the Numbers
- Legal status in each city. A unit in a city that restricts short-term rentals carries a risk the numbers can’t show. Check the legal database.
- Building and HOA rules. Some buildings ban short stays whatever the city allows.
- The landlord. A landlord who is comfortable with the arrangement in writing is worth more than a slightly higher margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Does It Pick the Unit With the Best Worst Case?
- Because the lease payment is fixed. The unit that still covers its costs in a slow month is the one least likely to put you in debt, even if another unit earns more in a good month.
- What Goes in Other Monthly Costs?
- Everything except rent: utilities, internet, insurance, cleaning, supplies and software.
- Why Does This Show a Lower Profit Than the Full Calculator?
- This quick comparison does not count cleaning fee income separately. Use it to rank units, then run the best one through the full calculator.
- Can I Compare More Than Three Units?
- Compare in rounds: keep the winner and replace the other two.