Starting out
How to Get Corporate Housing Clients: 9 Channels That Work
Where corporate housing clients come from: relocation companies, HR and travel teams, hospitals and staffing agencies, insurers, government, universities and more.
Corporate housing sits between a hotel and an apartment lease. Guests get a full apartment with a kitchen, laundry and furniture, for weeks or months instead of nights, and the bill usually goes to a company, a relocation firm, an insurer or a staffing agency rather than to the person staying. Industry surveys by the Corporate Housing Providers Association have put the average stay at roughly two to three months.
That makes it a different business from short-term rentals. Fewer turnovers, longer stays and business customers who come back, in exchange for higher standards, slower sales cycles and more paperwork.
1. Choose how you will control your units
Every corporate housing business starts with a supply decision. There are three common models, and many operators mix them.
| Model | How it works | Capital needed | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own | You buy homes or condos and furnish them | High | Concentrated in a few properties |
| Master lease | You lease units on 12-month leases, furnish them and rent them for shorter stays | Medium | You pay rent whether a unit is booked or not |
| Manage | Owners keep their units; you run them for a fee or a revenue share | Low | Thinner margin, owners can leave |
Most new operators start with master leases because they can grow without buying property. If you go that way, the landlord has to allow corporate use in writing. Read our guide to master leases before you sign anything.
2. Pick a market and a niche
Corporate housing demand follows a few reliable drivers. Look for markets with more than one of them:
- Hospitals and health systems, which bring travel nurses and clinicians on contracts of about 13 weeks.
- Large employers and relocation activity, which bring transferees who need 30 to 90 days while they find a home.
- Military installations, which bring service members on PCS moves and TDY assignments.
- Construction and industrial projects, which bring crews for months at a time.
- Insurance claims, which bring families displaced by fires, floods and storms, often with short notice.
- Universities and intern programs, which bring seasonal waves of students and interns.
Then pick a niche to lead with. A provider known as "the travel nurse housing people near the medical center" wins faster than one that tries to serve everyone. You can widen later.
3. Set up the business properly
The details depend on your state and city, so talk to a local attorney and an accountant. The usual list:
- A legal entity, typically an LLC, and a business bank account.
- Insurance: general liability, coverage for your furniture and contents, and often an umbrella policy. Landlords and corporate clients will ask for certificates of insurance.
- Local rules: many cities regulate short-term rentals of fewer than 30 nights. Stays of 30 nights or longer often fall outside those rules, but check.
- Lodging taxes: some places tax stays under 30 days and exempt longer ones; others use a different line. See lodging tax and the 30-day rule.
- Your documents: an occupancy agreement or lease, addenda for pets and insurance, and terms for corporate clients. See corporate housing lease agreements.
4. Furnish to a standard, not to a budget
Corporate guests and the coordinators who book them value consistency over flair. Define a package for each unit size and use it everywhere: beds and quality linens, a sofa and a work desk, a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer where possible, a smart TV, fast Wi-Fi and the small things people forget, such as a vacuum, hangers and a first-aid kit.
Decide early whether you will buy furniture or rent it from a furniture rental company. Buying costs more up front and less over time; renting keeps cash free while you learn which units work. Either way, track every item. Our guide to furniture setup and teardown covers how.
5. Price for vacancy, not for a full calendar
The most common mistake is pricing as if every unit will be booked every night. Build the rate from your monthly cost, then divide by the occupancy you can realistically expect.
| Monthly cost for one unit (illustration) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rent (master lease) | $1,800 |
| Furniture, $8,000 spread over 36 months | $222 |
| Utilities and internet | $220 |
| Cleaning and turnover, averaged | $100 |
| Insurance, averaged | $40 |
| Total monthly cost | $2,382 |
At 80% occupancy, the rate you need just to break even is $2,382 divided by 0.8, about $2,978 a month. Your margin comes on top of that. Run your own numbers with the occupancy rate calculator, and remember that partial months need a consistent proration method.
6. Win your first clients
Corporate housing is a relationship business. Your first bookings will usually come from relocation companies, hospital staffing coordinators, insurance adjusters and local employers, not from the internet. Be quick to quote, ready with your W-9 and certificate of insurance, and easy to invoice. We cover nine channels in how to get corporate housing clients.
7. Run it well from day one
The work never stops after the sale: quotes, leases, furniture deliveries, move-ins, maintenance, extensions, invoices, deposits, vendor bills and the books. Spreadsheets are fine for the first few units. Plan your switch before a double booking or a missed invoice makes the decision for you; this is when spreadsheets break. Staylio was built to run all of it in one system.
Frequently asked questions
Is corporate housing profitable?
It can be, but the profit lives in occupancy. Long stays mean fewer turnovers and steadier revenue than nightly rentals, while every vacant night on a leased unit is a cost you still pay. Operators who price for realistic occupancy, keep turns short and win repeat corporate clients do best.
How much money do you need to start a corporate housing business?
It depends on the model. Owning units takes the most capital. With master leases, you need first month's rent and deposits for each unit, the furniture package, insurance and enough reserve to carry vacancies while you build clients.
Do you need a license to run corporate housing?
You usually need a business license and, in many places, registration to collect lodging or sales taxes. Some cities also regulate furnished rentals. Requirements vary by state and city, so confirm them locally before your first booking.