Why do hotels have maximum lengths of stay?
 

Why do some hotels limit stays to 21 or 30 days? Is there some regulatory issue of hotels vs apartments they're trying to steer clear of? Is it to lessen the risk of a guest skipping out without paying?

(Of course, practically, that just means break it up into more than one reservation -- but I'm curious why the limitation in the first place.)

I always thought it was because of the eviction process (that after 30 days you accrue some rights versus less than 30 days). Take a look at this site from the California Department of Consumer Affairs, particularly the section highlighted in light blue:
http://www.dca.ca.gov/legal/landlordbook/whois.htm

Thanks very much for the link. That's the answer I was looking for: I thought they might fall under some apartment/landlord regulation.

I just experimented with hypothetical California bookings. Hilton.com is happy to let me book a 90 day stay at the Hilton Checkers. Meanwhile, hyatt.com restricts me to long-stay hotels.

In addition, in some states you are prohibited from charging sales and occupancy taxes for stays over 30 days... it is considered "permanent" living at that point... and not subject to those taxes.

Why should the hotel care if they have to/ don't have to charge taxes. In fact, I would think they would rather not charge taxes, as it would decrease the amount of work they would have to do (albeit if a large hotel it would not really make a difference).

Except you might check out early. On an extended stay at a Residence Inn in UT, where my account was settled every 10 days or so, they charged me tax for the first 30 nights, then refunded it all on night #31.

I asked a co-worker who, at one time, managed a hotel here in Minnesota, and he agreed that it's likely to avoid complications about the taxes and because some states grant certain rights based on length of occupancy.

What's interesting is that, at least in Minnesota, he needed a legal reason for eviction, like non-payment, noise complaints, etc. Even if the hotel is overbooked and the guest only made a reservation for 1 night, they can stay as long as they keep paying. After the first month, though, the tax thing kicks in, but they could stay for the rest of their life if they wanted to.

Because some jerk would make them go to court to evict him.

In California, I've stayed at hotels in the same room well over 21 days. I think I may have even managed over 30 days once - but that stay would have been an existing stay that was extended to over 30 days.

In NYC it's both the tax and residency issues. The hotel must charge the taxes each day up to the 30th, because as the previous poster said the guest could reserve a long stay then depart early. The accounting gets messy, and many transient corporate hotels just don't want to open themselves up to permanent resident problems.

Perhaps somewhere hotel/motel business license regulations prohibit long term stay. I can think of one reason why. In many places, 30, 60, 90 or 180 days at the same address and you can register to vote with your new permanent address. A small town with a big interstate interchange might have as many motel rooms as permanent residents. Enough motel guests registered to vote might be enough to vote out the locals and let some outsiders "take over the town". Who knows when some cult leader decides he would like to own his own town to house his cult. I think they tried this in a small town out in Oregon a few years back.

I once stayed in the same room over 30 days. Once in a while when the bill got so big, or at the end of the month, I would have to sign the charge and start a new one, but that was due to the hotel accounting dept. needing to close out that months books, not due to any length of stay restrictions.

In some states you are no longer a hotel at that point but some other housing thing with all different regulations. It's easier for them to have you get out for a night and come back.

There's also the matter of discouraging a haunting by Howard Hughes.

not to get off-topic, but don't car rental companies also have a 30-day maximum limit?

Thanks!

>Why do some hotels limit stays to 21 or 30 days?

Here in British Columbia (Canada), the taxation rules change after 30 days - You are no longer charged the Federal Goods and Services Tax for stays longer than 30 days.

It may be the case that their software can't adapt to this.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada