BEYOND AIRBNB: How to Run a Medium-Term Rental

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You've probably heard of short-term rentals—your Airbnbs and VRBOs of the world. And I assume you've heard of long term rentals, which are annual leases of (usually unfurnished) apartments or houses. But what the heck is a medium-term rental, and how can you create one?

 

My husband and I have been operating a medium-term rental for a year now, and as of this past summer we actually have two rentals. It’s been such a fun and satisfying experience that I wanted to share how it happened and what I’ve learned so far...in case you would like to do the same.

 

I THOUGHT I INVENTED THE TERM MEDIUM-TERM RENTAL

 

When I was young, I dreamed of owning a B&B. But as I grew older, I realized having people in my house day in and day out would make me want to defenestrate myself. But I do enjoy the prep-work of hosting—cleaning the house, making food, buying flowers, putting on music, and so on.

 

In 2023 we re-bought a house in New England that we had owned and lived in from 2005-2011. We loved the house, missed the area and our friends there, and regretted selling. So we approached the owners about buying it, communicated with them for more than two years, and jumped on the opportunity when they were finally ready to sell. Since we have a full life with many commitments and family in our current home state, our idea was to rent it out until we retire. We also wanted to be able to use it ourselves for vacations.

 

At first, I assumed we'd rent the place through Airbnb, which seemed like the perfect job for someone who likes to prep for guests but can only be around people for so long. This would also give us the option to occasionally stay there ourselves.

 

But I quickly changed my mind when I joined a bunch of Airbnb forums to learn the ins and outs. The complaints from hosts and guests alike made short-term rentals (STRs) sound like a bad deal all around. People griped about Airbnb's sky-high fees, hosts who charge steep cleaning fees and then leave a long list of cleaning tasks for guests, and guests who party, smoke, destroy furniture, or make false complaints to Airbnb to finagle free stays. Not to mention the incredible stress over reviews, which can make or break STR managers.

 

With guests turning over every few days, you need to be able to clean, make repairs, and re-stock supplies very quickly. Also, the more turnover of guests you have, the more likely there are to be issues like lockouts, breakage, failing appliances, etc. Being several states away, I knew I couldn't make all this work without a property manager...and they charge high fees.

 

At the same time, I didn't want to rent out the house on a long-term basis, as we wouldn't be able to use it ourselves. What to do?

 

On a whim, I searched for "medium-term rental." I didn’t think this term existed, and didn't expect to find anything. But I discovered a book called 30-Day Stay: A Real Estate Investor’s Guide to Mastering the Medium-Term Rental by Zeona McIntyre and Sarah Weaver, which I quickly bought and read.

 

That's how I discovered that medium-term rentals—also known as mid-term rentals or MTRs—are an actual thing.

 

MTRs are exactly what they sound like: the guests' stays are not as short as they are through Airbnb, but shorter than your normal long-term lease; typically, guests stay longer than one month but less than a year. The most common types of guests are:

 

• traveling nurses

• traveling executives

• graduate students

• people moving to the area who need a place to stay while they look for a permanent residence

• people who have been displaced from their homes due to, for example, flooding or fire (in which case their insurance company pays the rent)

 

I like to describe them as longer-term Airbnbs, because just like with these STRs, you need to offer a fully furnished rental with (typically) utilities, pantry and bathroom essentials, and other amenities you usually don't see in a long-term rental.

 

This set-up was exactly what I was looking for. I read everything I could on the topic and made the leap. We’ve been renting out the house since September 2023, and in the summer of 2024 we turned an empty back area into a separate studio rental.

 

This guide is based on my personal experience as the manager of a medium-term rental. Because this is a house we love, and not strictly an investment property, my approach may be a little different from others you see online. I won’t be talking much about the studio since our tenant has just moved in—meaning we don’t have much experience to share—but I will offer details from the past year of renting the main house.

 

FURNISHING THE MEDIUM-TERM RENTAL

 

I wanted to prep my MTR if I were preparing for guests in my own house. I figured this would help me stand out among the white walls, "live-laugh-love" signs, and industrial lighting featured in most rentals. (If you've heard of Airspace—a sameness and placelessness of design spread by social media—you'll know what I'm talking about.)

 

As a budget, 30-Day Stay recommends $5,000 per bedroom to furnish an entire unit, so my goal (which I met) was to come in under that amount.

 

As part of the house sale, we purchased the living room furniture, patio set, and several other pieces that were already in the home. This helped save some time and money. Then, I set to work fully outfitting the place for tenants.

 

The Furniture and Décor

 

I would have loved to spend lots of time thrifting, going to estate sales, and scanning Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for unique finds. But we had less than two weeks after purchasing the house to get it ready...because we already had a tenant! (More later on how to attract tenants.)

 

So I relied on websites like Wayfair and Overstock, manufacturer websites (for example, for mattresses), large retail chains such as Home Goods, Target, and Lowe's Home Improvement, and smaller chains like Ocean State Job Lot.

 

It's easy to find the big stuff: sofas, beds, dining tables, etc. The challenge was the side tables, rugs, lamps, artwork, pillows, mattress covers, blankets, sheets, and so on.

 

In some cases, we didn't realize we needed something until we were actually staying in the house as we got it ready. There's no light in this room! This loveseat needs pillows! We need a very shallow console table for this spot! Why is it taking us a full week to find three matching shower curtains for the claw-foot tub???

 

We had difficulty trusting "best [product] for rentals" lists, since the authors always included affiliate links. So we had to do our own research plus a ton of shopping around to find just the right products for us.

 

One year and four sets of tenants later, everything is holding up. We opted for mattresses from Nectar, and while they've dipped a bit in the middle, I find them very comfortable. (The mattress in the studio is from Costco and even cheaper than the Nectar ones, and we’ll see how that holds up.) The dining room chairs need their screws tightened at every turnover, which is annoying but doable.

 

Furniture and Décor: What I Learned

 

I gained some valuable knowledge from furnishing an MTR:

 

Buy in person if you have time

 

You can never tell from online photos what a piece of furniture really looks like or how well it will hold up. One of the bedroom sets seemed nice online but proved to be wood grain printed on plastic. It's hideous. However, we didn't have time to send it back and find another set. As things wear out, I'd like to find solid used furniture locally, paint it, and replace the hardware. This will not only last longer than cheap online furniture, but will also improve the overall look of the rental.

 

Choose platform beds

 

These are not only inexpensive, but they look great without bedskirts. You also don't have to worry about box springs, which need to be encased if you want them to stay clean. Bed frames were included when we bought the house, but I hated having to remove, wash, and iron the bed skirts at each turnover to get rid of dog hair. (More on pets later.) We replaced one of the frames with an upholstered platform bed as an experiment and are much happier with it.

 

Supply coasters

 

We put coasters on each nightstand and side table to reduce the chances that tenants will damage the furniture by setting wet glasses on it.

 

Protect the upholstery

 

As much as I hate to spray chemicals all over the house, I knew that if I didn't Scotchgard the upholstery, I'd be sorry later. So I threw open the windows, turned on the fans, and sprayed stain protectant on every sofa, ottoman, and chair—including the upholstered dining chairs. Now when I turn over the property, any stains are easy to remove.

 

Don't bother with curtains

 

The previous owner of our house left us some curtains, but I could see even at first glance what dust-traps they are. Fortunately the windows already had high quality cellular blinds, so we removed the curtains and left the blinds for a look that's clean...and easier to clean! That said, we may eventually invest in blackout curtains for the primary bedroom for nurses who work the night shift.

 

Don't go nuts with the décor

 

I so badly wanted to fill every wall, floor, and surface with artwork, little tables, etc. But not only would that look cluttered, it would decrease the pool of tenants who will vibe with the décor. While I think color and personality are positives, you can have that and stick with simplicity. Not to mention, tenants might want to use shelves and other surfaces for their own belongings.

 

I'm sure there will be many more lessons as we host more tenants, but as of now these were the biggest things we learned.

 

The Cookware

 

You can easily find lists of suggested cookware for your MTR. But also consider those small items you can't live without. Would you be lost without a corkscrew, mandolin, mini chopper, or immersion blender? Your tenants may feel the same way—and even if they don't, you will be happy to have these items when you stay at the place.

 

One thing we quickly learned is that kitchen items tend to disappear. We've come back to clean the place and discovered that knives, jars of spices, and even a blender missing. I assume tenants either accidentally throw items in the trash or inadvertently pack them with their own belongings when they move on to the next place. I’m sure we’ve done the same at some point!

 

For that reason, I don’t spring for expensive kitchen tools. We bought most of ours at Target and Walmart.

 

Cookware: What I Learned

 

Here are the lessons I've taken away from this experience:

 

Buy boring dishes!

 

While I did opt for white dishes, they have a unique shape and are only sold in sets. A few of the bowls have chipped, and I have no way of replacing just the bowls without having to buy a whole new set of dishes I don't need. If I had bought plain, round white dishes, just about any plain, round white dish sold at Target or Walmart would match.

 

Don't skimp (too much) on pots and pans

 

I bought a low-priced set of nonstick pots and pans Target, and they were completely destroyed after just one tenant. I just replaced them with a moderately priced enamel-coated nonstick set—the Greenpan brand—and placed the instructions for use and washing in the drawer. The set also came with a care sticker, which I stuck to the inside of the drawer.

 

Our last tenant actually commented on how good the cookware is! Not to mention, it’s cheaper to pay more for a better set now than to have to replace pots and pans every few months.

 

Stock up on silicone cooking utensils

 

My mistake was offering both silicone and metal utensils, and one set of tenants clearly preferred the metal. Get rid of the metal cooking utensils altogether if you have nonstick cookware. You can find silicone spoons, spatulas, whisks, and more.

 

Don't invest in a super-fancy knife set

 

Because...knives tend to disappear.

 

Visit the dollar store

 

A friend who is an interior designer and veteran shopper recommended I buy wine glasses at the dollar store, so I did. They look good, are fairly sturdy, and of course they're cheap to replace. When a tenant texted me to apologize that she broke a wine glass and ask me what to do, I replied, “No worries...they’re from the dollar store. :)”

 

Remember the soft stuff

 

You’ll need a good supply of kitchen towels and dish cloths, since they become gross pretty quickly.

 

I know I’ll learn more as time goes on, but these tips should help you avoid newbie kitchen snafus.

 

The Bedding & Linens

 

This is a biggie. After all, the quality your bedding and other linens can make or break a stay. I shopped with my designer friend to find inexpensive but attractive comforters, sheets, pillows, and towels.

 

Bedding & Linens: What I Learned

 

I went through a steep learning curve here, and learned fast what mistakes I had made...and also what I did right.

 

Buy all white

 

Even at our home, I insist on white sheets and towels because it doesn’t make sense (to me) to buy linens that can’t be bleached. I bleach all the linens between every tenant.

 

Do not buy comforters!

 

Unless, that is, you enjoy spending lots of time washing them at the laundromat because they typically don’t fit into home washers and dryers. I spent four hours and $60 at the laundromat because I also learned that laundromat machines require way less detergent than home machines...so I had to pay to re-rinse the comforters several times.

 

As soon as the comforters are beyond their useful lifespan, I plan to replace them with duvets with covers that can be removed and washed with the sheets.

 

Supply makeup cloths

 

If you’re worried about your white towels getting stained with makeup, stock up on makeup cloths—dark-colored washcloths with a texture that makes it easy to wipe off makeup.

 

Stock up

 

I supply enough bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths for tenants plus any guests they may have, and store even more in the owner’s closet. Towels are easy to wreck, so I can just grab a new towel out of the owner’s closet to replace any that have become worn or damaged.

 

Cover everything

 

I already knew from the horror stories on the Airbnb forums that I should use high-quality mattress covers and pillow covers (which go under the regular sheets/pillowcases). The mattress covers should completely encase the mattress with a zipper along the sides, and do be careful not to get the cheapie ones that feel and sound like plastic. Covers keep out not only liquids, but also dust mites and—goodness forbid—bedbugs. So far, so good! I wash the covers between each tenant.

 

I cannot wait until I can replace our comforters with duvets...and skip the laundromat forever. More lessons learned!

 

SAFETY

 

Safety is a huge concern for us, as it should be for any rental manager. No one wants a tenant (or anyone else) to get hurt on their property.

 

Landlord insurance is a must, not just for potential injuries but also for property damage. We were able to find only one company that would insure our property (Foremost). It costs about $2,200 per year and seems to have good coverage.

 

As for what you can do to improve safety:

 

Install fire detectors and CO detectors, and test them regularly

 

Your town probably has rules as to how many detectors you must have and where they need to be placed. We asked our electrician to install a networked system; if one alarm goes off, they all go off, including in the studio (and vice versa). Another option would be to sign up for a centralized alarm system through a company such as CPI, ADT, or SimpliSafe.

 

Be obsessive about lighting

 

When we lived in the house, somehow we managed to go without any lighting outside the house or on the interior stairs. Now I wonder how we did it! When we were prepping the house for rent, we asked our electrician to install a light on the interior stairs, plus motion-detector floodlights at all the entrances and on the driveway. We also replaced dim hall lights with bigger ones, and have a supply of night lights available for tenants to use.

 

Fix slipping hazards

 

Not only were our interior stairs unlit, they were also slippery wood...and it's a curved staircase to boot. Luckily, I found an amazing product to make the stairs more grippy: clear, textured stair treads like these. They were very easy to install, they're almost invisible, and now we (and our tenants) can walk up and down the stairs without worrying about slipping.

 

Stairs aren’t the only slipping hazards. The claw-foot tub is high and can be difficult to get into for showers, so when we had the tub refinished we opted for a slightly textured finish that makes it less slippy. Another option is to line the bottom of the tub with a non-slip rubber mat made for that purpose.

 

Finally, area rugs and mats can trip people up. We secured all of these to the floor with double-sided rug tape.

 

Stock up on safety products

 

We bought:

 

• A fully-stocked first-aid kit

• A fire extinguisher for each floor, the basement, and next to the fire pit

• Fire blankets and gloves for next to the stove and fire pit (We hung these, plus the extinguisher, on hooks on the fence near the fire pit.)

• Small flashlights in the nightstand of each bedroom

 

At every turnover, I check to make sure all of these supplies are in place, stocked, and have working batteries.

 

Keep the lights on (or off)

 

It’s way too easy for a tenant to accidentally flick wall switches that control important appliances, outdoor motion-detector lights, etc. We learned that the hard way when a tenant lost heat in the middle of winter and we sent our electrician out...only to find out that one of the tenant’s kids had flipped the emergency switch to the heater. So we installed plastic switch blockers like these on all the switches that need to be kept on.

 

Add safety info to your welcome PDF

 

There will be more about the welcome PDF later, but in regards to safety, I included information about:

 

• Where safety products are located in the house

• Local hospitals, urgent care clinics, police stations, etc.

• Safety tips for dealing with snow and ice in the winter

• Where the emergency switches are for turning off the water, heater, etc.

 

I'm not sure tenants always fully read the welcome PDF, so in the future I plan to ask them to confirm in writing that they have read and understand it.

 

FINDING TENANTS

 

We're lucky that the town we're renting in is close to several hospitals and medical clinics—some of them within walking distance! But it's not luck we have no problems renting because so many of the other rentals in the area seem overpriced.

 

I saw people charging the same amount for a one-bedroom apartment that we charge for an entire three-bedroom house. One tenant told us he found a nice, updated apartment in the same price range as our house, but he turned it down when he discovered the building had a coin laundry. (Really?)

 

So far, it's been easy for us to find tenants via Furnished Finder, and we haven't had to use Airbnb, reach out to hospitals and staffing agencies, etc. (To be transparent, I did try at first to do this since it was recommended in 30-Day Stay, and no one got back to me. In the end it was unnecessary labor on my part, but I can see it being crucial in other regions and in other economies.)

 

This means my advice here is going to be relevant for those using Furnished Finder; the good news is, much of my experience is transferable to other platforms as well.

 

Dogs!

 

Many nurses travel with their furry friends, so not allowing pets can shrink your tenant pool. We decided to allow dogs, and we'll accept cats on a case-by-case basis. We have both, and while we love cats, we know how destructive they can be—even if they don't mean to. A cat pees on a chair, and you may have to throw it out. A cat pees on the floor, and you may have to tear it out. Not to mention kitties' tendency to claw at furniture.

 

I included a special section in our welcome PDF with rules for pet owners and a link to the Facebook group for local dog owners. I also stow cheap brown towels in a closet for guests to wipe down their pets' muddy paws, keep a Bissell Pet Pro carpet cleaner in the garage, and make sure there's always a supply of enzyme spray under the sink for pet accidents.

 

Amenities

 

One way medium-term rentals are like Airbnbs is that you need to supply at least starter pantry, cleaning, and bathroom essentials. I’ll discuss cleaning essentials later, but here’s what we offer in the kitchen:

 

• tea

• coffee

• sugar

• flour

• baking soda and baking powder

• condiments (ketchup, etc.)

• cooking oil

• olive oil

• vinegar

• a few spices: cinnamon, garlic, etc.

• honey

• maple syrup

• salt and pepper

• peanut butter

• jam

• aluminum foil

• sandwich bags

• plastic wrap

• paper towels

• napkins

• a handful of paper plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups

• dishwashing liquid

• a handful of dishwasher pods

• a handful of Tide pods for the laundry

 

I typically buy the smallest sizes possible. In between tenants, I toss out anything that’s been opened that is not shelf stable, and only replace or replenish staples like vinegar, baking powder, and sugar when they start to run low.

 

In the bathrooms I provide:

 

• a few rolls of toilet paper

• cotton balls

• plastic baskets (from the dollar store) in the closet for tenants to stow their toiletries

• blow dryer

• hand soap

• tissues

 

I don’t include shampoo and the like because everyone has their own brand preferences, and I’m 100% sure they arrive with those items already.

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Offering these essentials (and mentioning on your listing that you do so) shows prospective tenants that you always have their needs in mind.

 

Marketing

 

Of course, no one will rent your house if they don’t know about it...or if they do know about it but it doesn’t sound appealing. That’s why it’s crucial to market on whatever platforms make sense for you, and to hype all the great things about your rental.

 

On most platforms, you will need to indicate whether you offer extras like an iron, blow dryer, pantry essentials, etc. Prospective renters also want to know about your heating/AC/wifi situations, whether utilities are included, whether you allow pets, what the house and neighborhood are like, and what you’re close to—such as mountains, the ocean, hospitals, hiking trails, shopping, or a downtown.

 

(A note about utilities: As with an Airbnb, mid-term rentals typically include utilities, though I have seen room-in-a-house rentals that expect tenants to pay their share of the bill.)

 

When you see what services and items your chosen platform is asking about, you can use that to fill in any gaps. (“It’s asking if our rental has fans. Good point, I should probably buy a couple.”)

 

Let’s talk about what else goes into marketing your medium-term rental.

 

Take great photos

 

Including clear, attractive, bright photos of your rental is a must—and the more, the better. I researched online to find out how to take good interior photos (tip: hold your phone camera low, like at chest height).

 

It’s a good thing I did, because it’s kind of bonkers how much our listing, with its cover photo of our blue house and colorful flowers, stands out from the sea of dimly-lit cover images of beige bedrooms.

 

Unfortunately I can’t show you a comparison from the site because the house is not listed right now, so here is our listing photo (left) and the photos from current listings on Furnished Finder (right).

 

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