What is room-by-room rental (the Living model) and which properties suit it

Room-by-room rental — what we at Sunstay call the Living model — means renting out a property not to a single family, but room by room, with mid- and long-term contracts. It's an increasingly common model in cities with strong demand for temporary housing: students, relocated professionals, digital nomads, or people staying for several months.

How it works in practice

The property is prepared and furnished as a living unit: each room is rented individually, usually furnished, while common areas (kitchen, living room, bathrooms) are shared according to the property's layout. Each tenant signs their own contract, which reduces the risk of non-payment compared to depending on a single tenant.

Management is more complex than a traditional rental because there are several contracts, multiple move-ins and move-outs throughout the year, and tenant compatibility needs to be actively managed. That's why this model almost always benefits from professional management.

Advantages over traditional rental

• More stable income: if one room becomes vacant, the rest of the property keeps generating income — you're not dependent on a single tenant.
• Higher return per square metre: the sum of several rooms usually exceeds what a single family would pay for the whole property, especially in larger homes.
• No seasonality: unlike vacation rentals, this doesn't depend on tourist season — mid- and long-term contracts provide continuity all year round.

Which properties suit this model

The Living model works best in large or underused properties: flats with 4 or more bedrooms, properties with a flexible layout, or homes currently rented below their real potential. It also makes sense for owners who've inherited or bought a large property and don't want to sell it, but do want to generate returns from it.

Not every property is equally profitable under this model — layout, number of bathrooms and location have a big influence on whether converting the property is worth it.

How we manage it under Sunstay Living

We assess the property's real potential, prepare and furnish it to our standard, select tenants with clear compatibility and solvency criteria, and manage the day-to-day: contracts, incidents, maintenance and payments. The owner gets clear reporting without having to handle any of the operations themselves. You can see the full process on the Sunstay Living page.