A landlord near a hospital lost a quality tenant last month. Instead of relisting on Craigslist, they posted on Reddit asking whether Furnished Finder and travel nurses were worth trying. The thread gave them opinions. This article gives you numbers.
Mid-term rentals — stays of 30 days or longer on platforms like Furnished Finder — are one of the most underused strategies in the short-term rental space. They don’t generate the same nightly rate as Airbnb, but they come with a different math: lower turnover, lower cleaning costs, steadier occupancy, and a guest profile (traveling nurses, relocating professionals, remote workers) that tends to treat properties well.
Here’s how the numbers actually compare, and whether this model makes sense for your situation.
What Is a Mid-Term Rental?
A mid-term rental is any stay between 30 and 90 days. Most platforms define it differently, but the practical line is 30 days because that’s where short-term rental regulations typically stop applying. In most cities, a 30-day minimum stay removes your listing from the short-term rental ordinance category entirely — meaning no STR permit required, no city licensing fees, and no nightly-stay restrictions.
The primary platform for mid-term rentals is Furnished Finder. It operates differently from Airbnb: there’s no nightly booking system, no reviews in the traditional sense, and no platform-managed cleaning fees. You set a monthly rate, a minimum stay, and connect directly with potential tenants. The platform charges landlords (not guests) a flat annual listing fee of about $99, versus Airbnb’s 3% per booking.
Other platforms with MTR inventory: VRBO (monthly filter), Airbnb (monthly filter, though less focused), Homeaway, and direct outreach to hospital travel nurse staffing agencies.
The Furnished Finder Platform: What Hosts Actually Experience
Furnished Finder is purpose-built for the travel nurse and business traveler market. The platform’s dominant guest profile is healthcare workers on 13-week assignments — travel nurses, travel physical therapists, and other allied health professionals who need a furnished unit near their hospital assignment.
What this means in practice:
Guests are vetted professionals with employment verification through their staffing agency
Stays are predictable: 13 weeks is the standard travel nurse contract length
No nightly cleaning between guests — one move-in clean, one move-out clean per guest
Direct communication before booking — you screen tenants before agreeing to a stay
No Airbnb-style reviews or superhost metrics to manage
The tradeoff: you’re giving up the nightly rate premium for stability. A unit that earns $150/night on Airbnb at 65% occupancy generates $2,925/month. The same unit listed at $2,200/month on Furnished Finder earns less — but with one booking, one guest, and one cleaning cycle over 90 days.
Travel Nurses, Business Travelers, and Relocating Professionals — The Three MTR Guests
Understanding who books on Furnished Finder helps you position and price correctly.
Travel nurses are the largest segment. They’re placed by staffing agencies on 13-week contracts at hospitals across the country. They need furnished units within 20–30 minutes of the hospital, reliable wifi, a washer/dryer in unit, and parking. They do not want shared spaces or noisy environments. They work night shifts, sleep during the day, and need blackout curtains.
Business travelers and corporate relocations are the second segment. These are professionals on project assignments, consultants, or employees being relocated who need temporary housing while house-hunting. They stay 30–60 days, often extend, and frequently pay through a corporate account.
Remote workers and digital nomads are a smaller but growing segment. They’re looking for value, strong internet, and a desk setup. They’re often flexible on location but specific on WiFi speed and workspace quality.
The Math: MTR vs STR vs Traditional Long-Term Rental
Using a 2-bedroom unit in a market near a regional medical center, here’s how the three models compare:
Traditional long-term rental: $1,400/month gross. Zero turnover costs. Zero platform fees. Maximum stability, minimum upside.
Mid-term rental (Furnished Finder, 30+ days): $2,000–$2,400/month. One move-in clean per guest cycle. No nightly cleaning. Platform fee: $99/year. Cleaning per turnover: $150–$200. Net: $1,750–$2,200/month.
Short-term rental (Airbnb, nightly): $120–$145/night at 65% occupancy = $2,340–$2,830/month gross. Platform fee 3%. Cleaning per stay: $75–$100, estimated 8–10 cleanings/month. Net: $1,500–$2,000/month after costs.
The MTR model often outperforms STR on a net basis because cleaning costs are dramatically lower. Eight Airbnb cleanings per month at $85 each is $680. One Furnished Finder turnover cleaning is $175. That $505/month difference changes the math significantly.
What ‘Near a Hospital’ Actually Means for Occupancy
Not all “hospital proximity” is equal on Furnished Finder. What matters is:
Distance: under 15 minutes by car is the gold standard. Under 30 minutes is acceptable. Over 30 minutes and you’re competing with local apartment rentals.
Hospital size: large academic medical centers and regional trauma centers generate the most travel nurse demand. Small community hospitals generate far less.
Staffing agencies: most travel nurses find housing through their agency’s housing allowance system. The standard stipend in 2025 is $1,500–$2,500/month for housing. Your rate needs to fit within that range or the nurse absorbs the difference out of pocket.
The Reddit investor who posted about losing tenants near a hospital complex was sitting on an asset with significant MTR potential. A 3-bed/2-bath unit near hospitals can realistically command $2,500–$3,200/month on Furnished Finder, compared to a $1,600–$2,000 traditional lease rate for the same property.
How to Set Up Your First Mid-Term Rental on Furnished Finder
Create your listing at furnishedfinder.com. The annual fee is $99 for landlords. List your address, unit details, monthly rate, minimum stay (30 days is standard), and available dates.
Write your listing for the travel nurse profile. Lead with distance to the nearest hospital (in minutes, not miles). List washer/dryer in unit, parking, blackout curtains, fast WiFi speed (run a speed test and post the actual number), and a dedicated workspace.
Price within the housing stipend range. Check local travel nurse Facebook groups and Reddit threads for your city to see what stipend rates are common. Price $100–$200 below the top of the range to fill faster in your first few months.
Set up a screening process. Ask for employer verification (staffing agency name and assignment letter) before confirming any booking. Most travel nurses expect this and will provide it immediately.
Prepare the unit for long-stay guests. Stock the pantry basics (oil, salt, pepper, coffee). Provide extra towels and bedding. Include a local guide with restaurant, grocery, and laundry recommendations. These details convert one-stay guests into repeat guests who ask for the same unit on their next assignment.
The Three Numbers to Track in Month One
KNOW:
MTR often nets more than STR once cleaning costs are factored in
Your target guest is a travel nurse on a 13-week contract — position your listing accordingly
Hospital proximity and housing stipend range determine your viable price ceiling
DO:
List on Furnished Finder this week ($99/year, 15 minutes to set up)
Identify the 3 hospitals within 30 minutes of your target property
Set your monthly rate 10–15% below the local housing stipend ceiling for your first 60 days
TRACK:
Monthly net (after rent if arbitrage, or mortgage if owned — minus cleaning, supplies, utilities you cover)
Days to fill each vacancy (target: under 14 days for a well-positioned listing)
Guest repeat rate (travel nurses often request the same unit on their next assignment — track this as a leading indicator of listing quality)
Is Mid-Term Rental Right for You?
If you’re near a hospital or medical campus, managing a property in a market with strong STR regulation, or finding that Airbnb cleaning costs are eating your margin — mid-term rental is worth modeling seriously.
It’s not a replacement for every STR situation. Markets without a major healthcare presence will see thinner Furnished Finder demand. Seasonal leisure markets (beach, ski) generate more revenue through nightly Airbnb than monthly MTR rates.
But for the right property in the right location, a single Furnished Finder tenant generating $2,200/month with one cleaning cycle per 90 days will outperform the same unit cycling through 8–10 Airbnb guests per month on a net basis.
The STR Blueprint covers both models — how to decide which fits your property, how to structure the lease for either strategy, and how to get your first booking in 30 days.