Hi @Lizzie,
can you link the original post?
I don't accept much long term, 6 weeks always was my maximum stay, and it ment I had to stay six weeks elsewhere, like in the sunny South during winter. I found it too boring over time - getting bored now on a long family holiday, whilst my place is rented for four weeks (5 days plus 22 days)
My tips would be:
1. Check your local laws, so you do not accidentially grant tenant rights. In France that would be 90 days, so a 45 day limit seemed a good idea to us. A contract is required here and we always established one. (It could be done without, but then the listing would have to be so detailed and full of terms, that nobody would book it. A contract explicitely for STR is easier).
2. Make your place fool proof. You will overestimate how safe you made it and underestimate how foolish people can be, but give it a good try. The price must be high enough, to forgive one or two totally foolish mishaps with a smile.
3. Check the guest. I do not indulge in detective work on google and facebook, but I request a bit of communication. So far, I never had anyone, where I was sure that they are good people turn out to be chaotic, but I accepted a few with mixed feelings for the money and the doubts were justified. I would not accept them on long term bookings however.
My only exception were 3 chain smoking kids (students), nice kids, but you can't trust a young smoker to stick to a non smoking rule. They stayed for over six weeks though (extension) and I consider the extra cleaning paid by the long rent.
4. Don't grant extra prices for extended stays. Especially not for people, who add a week and thereby miss out on a monthly discount. If you get the place back in such a great shape, that you are eternelly grateful for their stay, you can always send them a gift afterwards, but so far, I was always glad that they paid full price and that was worth the cleaning. It seems disorganised people, who do not plan long stays in advance, have disorderly habits.
5. Make everything extra clear, what there is, what there is not, how big it is, if there are any drawbacks in your place. Mine is small and not for people who are not agile. I give them very clear details, if they ask for a long stay (clear details even for a week) and have them confirm, that they really checked the pictures again and are conscient of the limits. Evidently, I add the positive aspects in the same way, as I want to get the booking.
6. Keep in contact, recommend them to local people, neighbours, guardian, bistro personnel, friends who might check on them in case of need. Most people who have to stay for longer feel more included into a community, if they feel they can fall back on the host's network of contacts. It may keep them more honest too.
7. Leave good instructions on the apartment and the town, basic equipment (basic food, printer ink etc) and a personal welcome gift.
If they don't stress everytime they need a new thing, from the washing machine to public transport, they take real problems in stride too. Especially if they know that a call will get help not a sermon.
8. A personal check-in is helpful. If I rent in my absence, I make a point that they call me once they are in.
No more ideas.