Galveston, TX · Short vs mid-term
Short-term or mid-term rental in Galveston?
On modelled numbers, nightly short-term renting comes out ahead by $5,384 a year after costs. Nightly renting nets $39,440 on 52 turnovers; a monthly tenant at $3,600 nets $34,056 with a handful of moves a year.
Short-term net
$39,440
After 32% operating costs
Mid-term net
$34,056
After 14% operating costs
Difference
+$5,384
Short-term minus mid-term
Turnovers a year
52 vs ~2
Nightly vs monthly
Side by side
| Short-term (nightly) | Mid-term (monthly) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross income | $58,000 | $39,600 |
| Modelled operating costs | −$18,560 | −$5,544 |
| Net income | $39,440 | $34,056 |
| Pricing basis | $265 a night at 60% | $3,600 a month, 11 months let |
| Turnovers a year | 52 | 1–3 |
| Furnishing and setup | Full furnishing, linens, supplies | Furnished, lighter consumables |
| Income stability | Season-dependent | Predictable while tenanted |
| Rule exposure | Directly affected by short-term rental rules | Often 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
Galveston demand peaks in Mar and bottoms in Sep, a 2.2× 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 Galveston with nearby markets
Want a second opinion on your property?
Send us the address and we will tell you what we think it can do, what the local rules require, and whether co-hosting makes sense for you.