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How Does Furnished Finder Work for Property Owners?
So, how does Furnished Finder work for property owners? Why list your property on this website, what are the service fees, and how do you get started? Read the blog post to find out!
In an ever-changing real estate landscape, the rise of mid-term rentals has emerged as a new trend, driven by the growing demand for flexible housing options that cater to traveling professionals seeking accommodations for extended periods.
Depending on the location, hosting guests mid-term can be a great strategy for STR hosts looking to increase bookings and occupancy. To experiment with a mid-term rental strategy, you may consider listing your property on Furnished Finder. This online rental platform provides furnished accommodations for a month or longer.
So, how does Furnished Finder work for property owners? Why list your property on this website, and how do you get started? Keep reading this blog article to find answers to these questions.
Listing your properties on multiple booking platforms and creating your own direct booking website is an effective strategy because it diversifies your revenue streams and helps you build a sustainable business. You can scale faster if you automate your hosting routine using Hospitable.
What Is Furnished Finder?
Unlike platforms for short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb, Furnished Finder specializes in providing mid-term housing for 30 days or more. The platform was founded in 2014 as a specialized marketplace connecting property owners with travel nurses and other healthcare workers looking for quality accommodation during their temporary assignments.
Now Furnished Finder offers over 300,000 furnished properties in all 50 states across the US from over 225,000 verified landlords. It caters to healthcare workers, business travelers, digital nomads, military personnel, relocating families, professors, and academics seeking stable, comfortable accommodation for a month or longer. The average stay in rentals listed on Furnished Finder is 90 days, and longer stays mean you won't have to deal with frequent turnover cleanings.
Furnished Finder sees more than 11 million traveler searches every month. It also has a sister site, Travel Nurse Housing. So once you register, your property will be listed on both sites, and you'll be able to reach millions of traveling medical professionals looking for a place to stay on their next work assignment.
Travelers can search for properties in their desired cities using the Furnished Finder map or fill out a form and submit a housing request. Then, they will be automatically matched with property owners in their search area. The system promptly alerts property owners who match the traveler's requirements, and they can contact travelers directly if they are interested in responding.
How Does Furnished Finder Work?
Unlike traditional short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Agoda, or Booking.com, Furnished Finder never charges commissions or booking fees so that property owners can keep 100% of their rental income. When you list your property on Furnished Finder, you pay an annual subscription fee (currently $199) and get unlimited access to booking requests from potential guests all year.
Furnished Finder gives you the flexibility to manage your rental business the way you want:
Furnished Finder doesn't interfere with your bookings or get involved in your transactions.
The lease agreement and rental payments are solely between you and your guest, and it's up to you to decide what rates you charge.
Travelers and property owners can communicate directly via messaging, phone calls, or emails. You can also communicate with travelers via the Furnished Finder app to track all your messages in one place.
You have the freedom to vet your guests—Furnished Finder offers a Tenant Screening tool, powered by TransUnion SmartMove, that gives you background checks, credit reports, and eviction history. The tenant typically pays for the screening.
Property owners can collect rent and security deposits online through Furnished Finder's partner, Baselane.
Furnished Finder is a US niche platform focusing on mid-term rentals, and adding it as another distribution channel for your property can help you extend your reach and connect with traveling professionals looking for furnished housing. Furnished Finder doesn't offer an API connection or an iCal export, so Furnished Finder bookings can't sync to Hospitable automatically. However, Furnished Finder can import iCal calendars from Airbnb and Vrbo, so your Airbnb and Vrbo bookings will block the dates on your Furnished Finder calendar.
When you get a booking on Furnished Finder, create a manual booking for it on Hospitable. Hospitable will then block the dates on the other booking platforms connected to your property, and if you add the guest's email address, Hospitable can send your automated messages to the guest by email. Find step-by-step instructions in our help article.
How Does Furnished Finder Work: Getting Started
You can list the entire property or an extra room in your home. Furnished Finder focuses on providing accommodation to healthcare professionals, and rooms are an important part of its nationwide travel nurse housing strategy, especially in high-cost cities.
Prepare your home
Keep in mind that travelers who use Furnished Finder are looking for affordable housing that is clean and safe, so make sure your rental meets their needs. Here is what you can do to improve the safety and security of your rental space:
Install proper lighting, for example, motion-activated lights, to ensure that your house's front and back are adequately lit.
Upgrade your home's security with smart locks that provide convenience with keyless entry and added peace of mind with the ability to manage access remotely.
Consider investing in security cameras and wireless burglar alarm systems to put your tenants at ease.
Equip your rental space with basic kitchen items, a good coffee maker, quality bedding and linens, and other living essentials you would expect in a fully furnished property to ensure a comfortable stay. Remember that travelers also expect fast Wifi so they can communicate with friends and family back home.
List your property
Listing your property on Furnished Finder is easy. Visit the Furnished Finder home page and click on List Your Property, then follow the prompts to register your property, create your account, and pay for your annual listing.
You can set up your listing yourself or let Furnished Finder set up your property listing for an additional fee (currently, it's $99).
If you choose to do everything yourself, you must add accurate property details, including its location, thorough description, amenities you offer, pet policy, house rules, availability, and pricing. You must also upload high-quality photos (up to 30) to show off your place. Each listing must include at least two photos.
Once you complete the ID verification process and finish setting up your listing, it will appear in search results across the Furnished Finder network.
Final Thought
Furnished Finder specializes in mid-term rentals and focuses on the US market. Since there are no commissions or booking fees, this online service offers a good alternative to booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Listing your vacation rental on Furnished Finder gives you access to unlimited leads from potential tenants interested in staying at your property for a reasonable subscription fee. So, this website can help fill gaps in your booking calendar during shoulder season and maximize occupancy.
