Medium-Term Rentals: How to Earn More by Renting to Travel Nurses, Corporate Tenants, and Event Workers

Most landlords think in two modes: short-term (nightly Airbnb) or long-term (12-month lease). But there's a substantial middle ground — the 30-day to 6-month furnished rental — that often generates higher income than either extreme, with fewer regulatory headaches than nightly rentals and more flexibility than annual leases.

This is the world of medium-term rentals: fully furnished homes and apartments rented to tenants who need temporary housing for professional reasons. Travel nurses on 13-week contracts. Corporate employees on project assignments. Military families awaiting permanent housing. Event crews in town for months. Insurance-displaced families waiting for home repairs.

These tenants are well-qualified, often have institutional backing (employer housing stipends, insurance company payment), and they're actively searching for quality housing in markets across the country.

The travel nurse opportunity

There are approximately 1.7 million traveling nurses working across the United States, typically on 13-week (91-day) contracts that are renewed, extended, or relocated. Healthcare systems across the country — especially those outside major metro areas that struggle to maintain full-time staffing — rely on travel nurses to fill gaps.

Every one of those nurses needs housing. And most of them don't want to live in an extended-stay hotel for three months.

Housing stipends for travel nurses are substantial: $700–$5,000/month depending on market, with high-cost metros like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle at the top. These stipends are paid on top of salary, specifically to cover housing costs. The nurse is motivated to find private housing rather than a hotel because they keep the difference between the stipend and the actual rent.

For landlords, this creates a highly motivated, financially reliable tenant base. A furnished 2-bedroom near a major hospital in a mid-sized market can command $2,000–$3,500/month for a 3-month engagement — substantially more than the equivalent annual lease rate for the same property.

Furnished Finder is the primary platform connecting travel healthcare professionals with private landlords. The site processes over 4 million housing searches monthly and focuses exclusively on 30+ day stays. Listing your property is free for landlords; nurses pay a subscription fee to search.

Corporate housing and relocation assignments

The corporate housing market reached $7.384 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $8.6 billion by 2033. Demand is driven by:

• Corporate employee relocations (employees moving for new positions, typically needing 1–6 months of temporary housing while finding permanent housing)
• Project-based teams (engineers, consultants, construction crews deployed to sites for months at a time)
• The U.S. manufacturing resurgence — new facilities from Eli Lilly, Toyota, Hyundai Steel, Intel, TSMC, and dozens of others are deploying workforces into markets that don't have sufficient hotel inventory
• AI and data center expansion creating corporate workforces in mid-sized markets

Corporate housing clients typically pay 20–40% more than a standard annual lease for the same property when properly furnished and equipped. Properties averaging 750+ square feet are the sweet spot — above the ~365 square feet of a typical extended-stay hotel room.

Key contacts for corporate housing placements: local HR departments at large employers, Furnished Finder's corporate arm, and direct outreach to relocation management companies like Sirva, BGRS, and Atlas.

SXSW and event-based demand

Austin's South by Southwest (SXSW) generates $355.9 million in annual economic impact, with over 300,000 attendees converging on the city every March. For Austin-area landlords, March is consistently the highest-revenue rental month.

Nightly rates for well-located 2-bedrooms during SXSW reach $375–$550/night — versus normal rates of $185–$310. Annual lease-holders often sub-lease their units legally during the festival period, capturing 2–3 weeks of premium income within the exclusion framework.

Beyond SXSW: every major metro has recurring events that create housing demand. Nashville's CMA Fest (June). Miami Art Basel (December). Houston's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC, May). Indianapolis's Indianapolis 500. Understanding your local event calendar is low-hanging fruit for identifying windows of premium demand.

How to set up a medium-term rental

Furnishings: Budget $2,000–$5,000 for a basic furnished setup of a 2-bedroom. Essentials: bed frames and mattresses, linens, couch, dining table and chairs, kitchen basics (dishes, cookware, utensils), and a desk with chair. Higher-end corporate clients expect more; travel nurses are often happy with functional basics.

Internet: Gigabit fiber preferred; at minimum 200 Mbps. Include it in the monthly rate.

Pricing: For corporate or travel nurse placements, price 20–40% above the annual lease equivalent for the property. A home that rents for $2,000/month annually might command $2,400–$2,800/month fully furnished.

Platforms: Furnished Finder (travel healthcare focus), Rent Like a Champion (event-focused), Corporate Housing by Owner, and Airbnb for Work (longer stays with professional clients).

Regulation: Stays of 30+ days avoid most short-term rental permit requirements and are treated as standard residential tenancies under state landlord-tenant law. In states and cities with strict short-term rental regulations, a 30+ day minimum solves the regulatory problem.

Lease structure: Use a standard month-to-month lease rather than daily rates. Include a clear end date (or 30-day notice provision), specify what's included (furnished, utilities, internet), and treat the relationship as you would any residential tenancy.

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