How to Furnish a Mid-Term Rental
You’re considering converting your property into a Mid-Term rental – Congratulations! Now… how to furnish a Mid-Term rental? Mid-Term rentals are furnished properties that are rented by the month (usually for a time period between 1-6 months). Tenants can include a multitude of people including traveling health care professionals, digital nomads, graduate students, individuals moving out of their current home to remodel, professionals relocating temporarily for work, and the list goes on… These types of tenants are looking for a comfortable place to temporarily call home that is clean and furnished with all the necessary items to enjoy their stay.
Unlike Short-Term Rentals, as a host you do not need to provide EVERYTHING, since tenants will be living in your property for at least a month, they generally will purchase their own soaps, laundry detergent, etc. We recommend equipping guests with a starter kit to get them through their first few days until they can make it to the grocery store to stock up on their own preferred brands. In addition, your rental does not need to be as trendy as a Short Term rental, just nice with just-bring-your-toothbrush kind of vibes!
In this post we’ll take you through the bare-bones of what you’ll need to create a comfortable space for your guests to enjoy. Of course, we recommend bringing in some nice decor items, artwork, etc to make the space feel like home, but that is for another post another time. Let’s chat about the basics for a Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom & Outdoor Patio. Guaranteed you will have many items already, but you may need to supplement here and there to have a complete package. In addition, be sure to measure your space to make sure the items you are purchasing for your space will fit!!
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Living Room:
Who doesn’t love an inviting Living Room?! Your goal when furnishing your mid-term rental’s living room is to provide a comfortable space for lounging, relaxing and unwinding since many of your tenants will be traveling health care professionals with stressful jobs who need a calm space to retreat after a long day’s (or night’s) work. Here are the basics of what you will need:
- Couch
- Accent Chair
- Coffee Table
- Side Table
- Area Rug
- Television
- Amazon Fire Stick – this way your guests can sign into their own Amazon account to access their streaming services.
- Media Cabinet
- Throw Pillows (Inserts & Covers)
- Blanket
- Table Lamp
- Faux Plant
- Plant Basket
- Desk – since many of your guests will be either digital nomads or traveling professionals, you may want to consider incorporating a workspace somewhere in your property should space allow for it.
- Desk Chair
- Bookshelf
Kitchen:
When furnishing a Short-Term rental, you can usually bank on the majority of guests going out to eat for meals. However, when an individual is coming to stay for a month or more, we can almost guarantee that they will be utilizing the kitchen to cook their meals. Below we’ve included some of our must-have products to include in your Mid-Term rental kitchen:
- Dish Set
- Silverware Set
- Kitchen Utensils Set – this set has so many of the little items you may not think of, but a guest may need… cheese grater, ice cream scoop, measuring cups etc.
- Non-Stick Cookware Set
- Drinking Glasses
- Wine Glasses
- Cutting Board Set
- Coffee Mugs
- Keurig Machine
- Collander
- Mixing Bowls w Lids
- Measuring Cups
- Food Storage Containers Set
- Wine Opener
- Bakeware Set
- Knife Set
- Kitchen Towels
- Kitchen Trash Can
Dining Room / Area:
Depending on the layout of your property you may have either a dining room, dining area, or maybe just an eating bar that is an extension of your kitchen. No matter the layout, your tenants will need a place to eat. We’ve included some options below depending on the layout of your home:
Bedroom:
Yet again, when furnishing the bedroom, your goal is to create a zen space for relaxation and sleep. Think fluffy comforters, blackout curtains and extra blankets. Here is a list of some items you will want to include in your Mid-Term Rental bedroom:
- Bed Frame
- Mattress
- Pillow Inserts – 4 Pillows per bed (2 for sleeping, 2 that match the duvet)
- Pillow Protectors – we find these useful to prolong the life of your pillows
- Waterproof / Bed Bug Mattress Cover
- Mattress Pad
- Sheet Set – we would recommend at least 2-3 sets of sheets to transition easily between guests
- Duvet
- Duvet Cover – you may want to have 2 of these as well for easy transitions
- Dresser
- Nightstands
- Hangers
- Full Length Mirror
- Table Lamp
- Blackout Curtains – a must if you will be housing traveling nurses as some of them may be on night shift and need to sleep during the day
- Sound Machine – a very nice bonus for a guest to help drown out any noises during sleeping hours
Bathroom:
This space should feel clean and spa-like for your visitors. Think plush towels and white, light and bright colors. Here are a few items you’ll want to include:
- Towel Rack
- Towels – we recommend having 2-3 sets of towels for easy transitions
- Washcloths
- Bathmat
- Shower Curtain Liner
- Shower Curtain
- Squeegee – if you have glass shower doors
- Soap Dispenser
- Canister Set
- Trash Can
- Toilet Brush / Plunger Set
Outdoor Patio:
If your property has some outdoor space, you’re definitely going to want to make it inviting for your guests to be able to enjoy the fresh air. Depending on space, this can be as simple as two chairs to relax in, a full outdoor dining set or a nice outdoor sectional. Again, this all depends on sizing of your yard space. We’ve included some of our favorite options for the great outdoors here:
