Single Mom Moves Into Hotel Room With Her Two Kids Because Renting Is Too Expensive

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As someone who is currently on what feels like a never-ending search for an apartment, the journey is daunting. Rent prices are high, broker fees are higher. You have to have the right income, the right credit score, and, for certain places, be approved by an entire board. It’s a lot.

If you’ve found that you don’t check all of those boxes, things can get dicey. This was the case for one single mother of two in Connecticut. But she thought outside of the box and found a solution for herself and her children.

'I need some sense of ease,' Suzanne prayed.

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In an essay for Business Insider, Suzanne Hayes shared that she moved herself and her kids into a hotel room instead of renting an apartment.

All of it began with a prayer. "I am not sure what I am asking for exactly, but I need some sense of ease," she wrote. Suzanne prayed as she walked into her bedroom, with a pile of clothes on the floor. In addition to the clothes that needed to be laundered, Hayes was overwhelmed by bills, the upkeep of the house she had been renting for the past six years, and the demands of being a single mother.

Hayes loved the house she was renting. She was on a month-to-month lease. It was within walking distance of her ex’s house and her kids’ school. Best of all, her landlord never increased the rent.

But even though she was renting, she still had to take care of all of the things a homeowner would: yard work and an oil tank and furnace that were constantly on the fritz. And there was a mouse issue.

Rental prices were too high and Hayes' credit was too low.

Just as Hayes prayed for that ease. She got an email from her landlord. "We are putting the house up for sale and need you out by March 1." Hayes had 30 days. She began her search on Zillow. "Two-bedroom, 1000 square feet, $2,700/month. Three-bedroom, 1200 square feet, $3,000/month. The prices were outrageous and well beyond my budget. When I finally found a place that left me feeling positive, my application was denied because my credit was subpar," she explained.

Hayes felt defeated. While her mother offered to let she and her children move in, the 46-year-old needed independence, privacy, and affordability. So she tried to do something different.

Hayes reached out to a hotel as a last-ditch effort.

Hayes started searching on Airbnb and VRBO, but many of those places had already been rented. So she reached out to hotels in her area and inquired about long-term rates. Surprisingly, she received a response.

"We have a two-bedroom apartment on-site that we rent out for longer stays. It's $2200 a month and includes all utilities and hotel amenities," the email said. Hayes felt like she’d won the lottery. There are downsides. The hotel stay is temporary, the apartment is small, and the location is not ideal. Still, it was a place Hayes and her children could call their own for a few months.

Probably one of the best parts of this whole thing was the fact that the hotel’s cleaning team would help lighten some of Hayes’ load. Every Tuesday, the team does a deep clean, changes the bedding, and swaps out towels for clean ones.

Hayes said her children found the adventure in it.

Hayes’ children are on board as well. Hayes assumed they would be less than pleased. But she said they “found the adventure” in their new living situation.

“Their eyes lit up when I showed them the hotel pool, the game room, the sauna, and the gym. They quickly discovered that the hotel restaurant hosts trivia every Thursday night, and it has since become our favorite weekly activity. We swim on hot days, cook S'mores at the firepits on the weekends, and enjoy continental breakfast in the mornings,” she shared.

While it’s not a permanent or perfect solution, Hayes said it did provide her the gift of ease. “And that, after all, is exactly what I prayed for.”