Long stays and furnished rentals

A surprising share of Palo Alto's visitors stay for weeks or months. Summer interns arrive for twelve-week stints at tech companies. Visiting scholars and postdocs spend a quarter or a year at Stanford. Families come to support a patient at Stanford Hospital or Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Founders fly in to raise money. People relocating for a new job need somewhere to land while they look for a permanent home. A standard hotel gets expensive and cramped quickly for any of them.

This guide compares the main options for long stays and explains how leasing usually works here. We do not list rents or nightly prices because they change constantly. To browse what is open for your dates, search monthly homes near Stanford on Vrbo.

The main options compared

Extended-stay hotels

Extended-stay hotels are the simplest choice for a few weeks. You get a suite with a kitchen, regular housekeeping and a front desk, with no lease or deposit. Most offer lower rates for longer bookings.

Two confirmed examples sit on El Camino Real just south of Palo Alto:

• Residence Inn Palo Alto Los Altos at 4460 El Camino Real in Los Altos. Marriott lists an all-suite layout with fully equipped kitchens, a free hot breakfast, an outdoor pool and monthly parking terms for stays over 30 nights.
• Residence Inn Palo Alto Mountain View at 1854 El Camino Real West in Mountain View. Marriott lists suites with separate living and sleeping areas, full kitchens and a free hot breakfast.

Some regular hotels also discount long stays. In downtown Palo Alto, Hotel Keen advertises a stay-longer offer that includes breakfast. Ask any hotel for its weekly or monthly rate, even if none is posted. You can compare extended-stay hotels on Booking.com and filter for kitchens.

Furnished rentals and vacation homes

A furnished house or apartment is the best fit for families, small teams and anyone staying more than a few weeks. You gain a full kitchen, a living room and often laundry and parking. On a per-night basis, a monthly booking is often cheaper than a hotel.

Tips for booking a furnished rental here:

• Check the total, not the nightly rate. Cleaning fees and service fees can add a lot.
• Ask about parking. Many residential streets near downtown limit parking for cars without a permit.
• Read the cancellation policy. Long bookings often have stricter terms.
• Ask about utilities and internet speed. If you will work from the rental, confirm the connection.
• Look at the neighborhood. Our neighborhood guide explains the feel of each part of Palo Alto.

Cities in the Bay Area regulate short-term rentals in different ways. Palo Alto has debated its own rules. A legitimate host should be able to tell you how the stay is taxed and registered. Hotel and short-stay bills in Palo Alto include a city transient occupancy tax. In California, local hotel taxes generally apply to stays of 30 days or less.

Corporate housing and relocations

Corporate housing means furnished apartments rented by the month, usually with utilities, internet and sometimes housekeeping included. Employers often book it for new hires who are relocating or for staff on long assignments. If your company has a relocation package, ask the HR team which providers it already uses. They may have negotiated rates.

For people relocating on their own, a one to three month furnished stay buys time to learn the area before signing a long lease. Use that time to test commutes at rush hour, visit schools and compare neighborhoods. Our guides to living in Palo Alto and real estate and housing are good next steps.

Summer interns

Every summer, large numbers of interns arrive across Silicon Valley. Many start looking in early spring. Here is what tends to work:

1. Ask your employer first. Many companies offer housing, a stipend or a list of partner providers.
2. Team up. Splitting a furnished house or apartment with other interns cuts costs a lot.
3. Follow the train. A room near a Caltrain station in Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Redwood City can be cheaper and still easy to reach.
4. Be wary of deals that look too good. Never wire money for a place you have not seen or verified. Rental scams target newcomers.
5. Check the dates closely. Summer sublets from Stanford students often follow the academic calendar, which may not match your internship.

If you will work from a shared office, see our guide to coworking and office space.

Visiting scholars, postdocs and Stanford staff

Stanford's Community Housing office runs a rental listing database through Places4Students. According to Stanford, access is limited to current and incoming students, faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and visiting scholars and researchers. Incoming affiliates without a Stanford email can request temporary access with proof of affiliation. Listings include rooms, apartments, houses and house-sitting positions. Start at the Community Housing listings page.

For shorter academic visits, the Stanford Guest House on Sand Hill Road takes guests with a Stanford, SLAC or Stanford Medicine educational purpose. Rooms can be booked up to six months ahead. Our guide to staying near Stanford has more on the Guest House.

Medical stays

Families supporting a patient often need flexible dates and a kitchen. Extended-stay hotels and furnished rentals near El Camino Real keep you close to the medical center. Ask hotels whether they offer medical or hospital rates. Hospital social work and patient services teams can also point families toward local resources.

How leases usually work

If you move from a temporary stay into a regular rental, expect these norms:

• Twelve-month leases are standard for unfurnished apartments and houses. Shorter terms often cost more each month.
• Deposits are capped. Since July 1, 2024, California law limits most security deposits to one month's rent, with an exception for some small landlords.
• Applications move fast. Have proof of income, ID and references ready. Landlords may run a credit check.
• Furnished leases cost more. You pay for the convenience of moving in with a suitcase.
• Read the lease before you pay. Confirm who pays utilities, how parking works and the notice period for moving out.

Rules change, so check current California tenant law before you sign. State agencies and local tenant groups publish plain-language guides.

Frequently asked questions