Anyone use Furnished finder leads of individuals for an entire house?

Question

I got my first mid term rental in south Euclid about 2 weeks ago and list it on furnished finder.

4 bedrooms 2 bath. So far I got only individuals with a rent limit of 1200-1600

is it  common to let  2 - 3 individuals who don't know each other rent the house?

if so do you just connect them and see if they ok to rent it and share the common spaces?

Miguel Del Mazo · Answer

Your post brings up a lot of interesting points/questions about MTRs.

1. Can you mix and match tenants to fill a larger space? Yes, but. Its certainly allowable on FF, but I'd make it crystal clear in your advertising that you are filling rooms in the unit rather than listing the whole space once you've filled a room (or 2 or 3). You will likely be annoyed if you get a request for 4 rooms when you have just filled a single room, so be prepared for that.

2. How does one handle requests for housing on FF that are way below your target rent? Reach out to them. We've gotten great residents who we met despite their original search on FF being way below market. You may even be able to fill additional rooms if the potential resident knows others who are traveling to your area.

3. When renting by the room, what amenities are most important? Our rent-by-the room residents appreciate a lockable bedroom door, a private bathroom, sufficient on-site parking, a large refrigerator and a large washer and dryer (in order of most to least important). You may also want to get the fastest internet possible and to set up individual networks by the room.

4. Because FF is not a booking platform, make sure you follow all applicable fair housing laws when talking to potential residents.

5. Renting by the room makes it a lot, lot harder to allow pets. This can dramatically decrease your applicant pool and revenue.

Can you do a rent by the room strategy of FF? Absolutely, but just like with everything in MTR, you need to put a little more thought into it than you would with another rental strategy. :)

Vivian Yip · Answer

@Itay Heled Last year, Furnished Finder published a document called "the state of mid term rentals" and it showed that the users of FF want studios, 1 bed and 2 bed proerties. the demand for 3-4 bedrooms significantly drop.  Also most want rent below $1600 so you're right on the money there.

I run a facebook group on MTR"s with 3.5k people and many have had the same experience. it's not to say you can't find success on FF but the demographic of who you're trying to attract might not be on that platform.

Vivian Yip · Answer

Super great reply might I add, I didn’t pursue this strategy myself because I did not want to be in the middle of any potential roommate drama!I will also add that many independent travelers that do room rentals enjoy having their own fridge.

To keep things kosher in shared spaces, my friend who runs PadSplit says every room comes with one colors or plates cups etc to ensure that guests are accountable for their own dishes. They also each get a roll of toilet paper and are expected to self re-stock. Another tip here is to let them bring their own linens (fairly common) so you save money that way!

Colleen F. · Answer

@Itay Heled  larger properties are not something that is popular with the furnished finder searchers from what I have seen. Health professionals are generally looking for 1-2 bedrooms and even travelers in other professions look for that size unit. For a 4 bed you are likely looking for insurance placements for a family or temporary relocation. Maybe a corporate group looking to house multiple workers like for construction or power projects.

Some people in your situation do decide to rent by the room but it is location based.  You will get people willing to share in high demand areas and you will see this in high rent areas but you are keeping up the common areas and it is a bit harder.

Cameron Green · Answer

Congrats on getting your first mid-term rental in South Euclid! It’s not uncommon to rent by the room to individuals, but it requires some careful management. Furnished Finder does make it tricky since you need separate profiles for each room, but platforms like Apartments.com or Airbnb might work better if you're aiming for full-house rentals or structured by-the-room arrangements.

If you decide to rent to multiple individuals:

• Tenant Screening: Screen each tenant thoroughly to ensure they’re reliable and responsible.
• Clear Communication: Introduce potential tenants to one another 
• Detailed Agreements: Use separate leases for each tenant and specify shared vs. private spaces, utilities, and maintenance responsibilities.
• House Rules: Create clear, written house rules to prevent misunderstandings.
• Inventory Tracking: Document everything in the home (furniture, appliances, etc.) to avoid disputes about damage or missing items.

Also, market your property with its flexibility in mind—like proximity to hospitals for traveling nurses or universities for graduate students. This can help target tenants willing to share. Best of luck!

Itay Heled · Answer

May I ask what is your experience with furnished finder screening process?Any other checks is recommended on top of what they do?

Bonnie Low · Answer

It varies a lot by market, guest type and even the neighborhood and type of home within a particular market. There's no single type of midterm rental property, nor is there a single type of midterm renter. That's a fairly large single family home. The types of renters that would most likely be looking for a 4/2 are usually families with an insurance claim who need temporary housing, families relocating to the area that need temporary housing until they find something to buy or build and construction companies with the need for housing for their workers. For the first 2, location and amenities are key. There are some rougher parts of Euclid which are not going to appeal to either of these types of renters. You might have some luck with construction companies if there's a lot of building going on in your area. Otherwise, rent-by-room is probably your best bet. It's not an uncommon strategy. I try to have my renters meet each other or at least have a phone conversation to make sure they're compatible, but even then, you just never know if they will be. Personally, I don't mix men and women tenants but I know some people do. To me, it's just inviting potential conflict that I don't want.

Itay Heled · Answer

Fantastic. Are those companies focusing on certain states or working across the US?

Miguel Del Mazo · Answer

We have been fortunate to host families for Alacrity and United Corporate Housing. Both companies have been wonderful to work with, and the families were also great.

Always make sure to reach out to the company before placing new residents as they have a high liklihood of needing to extend. That's a good policy across the board, actually.

Itay Heled · Answer

Thanks so much for the feedback

are there any other insurance placement companies other than ALE ?

Anyone use Furnished finder leads of individuals for an entire house?

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