What corporate housing means
The name comes from who used to book it: companies housing employees on long assignments. Today the same kind of home — furnished, rented by the month, bills included — is often booked by the traveler directly. You’ll hear it called a corporate rental or corporate apartment, and in investing circles a midterm (or medium-term) rental.
Who stays, and who pays
Project managers and construction crews on months-long builds, relocating employees waiting for a home, consultants, trainees and traveling clinicians. Some pay their own rent and get reimbursed or receive a housing allowance (see per diem); some employers pay directly.
We’ve housed a team from Italy that was building a manufacturing line in Arizona, paid by international wire under a contract with their foreign employer — after we verified it was a legitimate corporation. When a company is on the other end, checking the company is part of screening. Billing a company? See our free corporate housing invoice template.
Corporate housing compared with a hotel and a lease
| Topic | Nightly (short-term) | Monthly (mid-term) | Yearly (long-term) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay | A hotel or nightly rental for a week | A furnished home for a three-month project | A 12-month lease after a permanent move |
| Agreement | Booking terms or a hotel folio | A lease — sometimes a corporate lease signed by the company | A standard lease |
| Paid | Per night | Monthly, often in advance | Monthly |
| Comes with | Housekeeping, no kitchen | Furniture, a kitchen, utilities and internet | Usually unfurnished; utilities extra |
Related terms
- MTR (mid-term rental) — the wider category. See what MTR means.
- Corporate lease — a lease where the company is the tenant and names the occupants.
- Per diem — a traveler’s daily allowance for lodging and meals. See per diem.
- Additional living expenses (ALE) — the insurance-paid cousin of corporate housing. See ALE.
Running corporate stays next to nightly bookings or yearly leases? That’s what Nexxus corporate housing software is built for — or open the live demo set up for mid-term, no sign-up.
Corporate housing FAQ
What is corporate housing?
A furnished home or apartment rented by the month — usually 30 nights or more — to someone working away from home: a project manager on a months-long build, a relocating employee, a consultant or a traveling clinician. It comes ready to live in, with furniture, kitchenware, utilities and internet, and is often arranged or paid for by the employer.
What is a corporate lease?
A lease where a company, not the person living in the home, is the tenant: the business signs and pays, and names the employees who will occupy the home. It lets a company house a rotating team without each person signing a new lease.
Is corporate housing still a thing?
Yes. Companies still move people for projects, training and relocations, and many prefer a furnished home with a kitchen over months in a hotel. What changed is where it’s found: alongside dedicated corporate-housing companies, many stays now come through listing sites and independent operators.
Is corporate housing the same as a mid-term rental?
Corporate housing is one kind of mid-term rental. Mid-term rentals also include travel-nurse housing, insurance (displacement) housing and families between homes — the same furnished home can serve all of them.
Who pays for corporate housing?
Sometimes the employer pays the landlord directly; sometimes the employee pays and is reimbursed or receives a housing allowance; sometimes a relocation or placement company arranges and pays. Settle who signs, who pays and how before move-in.