Marathon, FL · Short vs mid-term

Short-term or mid-term rental in Marathon?

On modelled numbers, nightly short-term renting comes out ahead by $14,009 a year after costs. Nightly renting nets $57,052 on 59 turnovers; a monthly tenant at $4,550 nets $43,043 with a handful of moves a year.

Modelled estimate

Short-term net

$57,052

After 32% operating costs

Mid-term net

$43,043

After 14% operating costs

Difference

+$14,009

Short-term minus mid-term

Turnovers a year

59 vs ~2

Nightly vs monthly

Side by side

Short-term (nightly)Mid-term (monthly)
Gross income$83,900$50,050
Modelled operating costs−$26,848−$7,007
Net income$57,052$43,043
Pricing basis$338 a night at 68%$4,550 a month, 11 months let
Turnovers a year591–3
Furnishing and setupFull furnishing, linens, suppliesFurnished, lighter consumables
Income stabilitySeason-dependentPredictable while tenanted
Rule exposureDirectly affected by short-term rental rulesOften outside short-term rental rules at 30+ nights

Operating costs are modelled at 32% of gross revenue for a nightly rental (cleaning, supplies, utilities, platform fees, maintenance, insurance) and 14% for a monthly rental. Financing assumes a 25% down payment and a 30-year loan at 7%. These are planning assumptions, not quotes — replace them with your own numbers. Mid-term income assumes 11 let months out of 12 and a monthly rent modelled at 45% of a month of nightly revenue. Many owners in seasonal markets run a hybrid: nightly through peak season, monthly through the trough.

The hybrid option

Marathon demand peaks in Mar and bottoms in Sep, a 1.9× spread. Running nightly through the peak months and taking a mid-term booking through the trough usually beats committing to one model all year — especially where a 30-night booking also sidesteps local short-term rental restrictions.

Compare Marathon with nearby markets

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