Scaling mid-term rentals needs steady, predictable demand. Corporate contracts deliver that. Use the Mid-Term Rentals Growth Toolkit — Ops, Finance & Portfolio to turn one-off corporate bookings into repeat revenue. This post walks through what corporate buyers want, how to price and structure corporate housing contracts, the sales playbook, and the ops handoffs that keep promises while you scale.
Why corporate housing contracts matter
Corporate deals reduce vacancy, shorten sales cycles, and raise lifetime value. They also demand different paperwork, faster SLAs, and clear invoicing. Win a reliable corporate client and you get recurring bookings, often with higher ARPU and lower churn. Treat corporate sales as a productized channel inside your Growth Toolkit.
Who the buyers are (and what they actually pay for)
- Relocation teams / HR — need predictable inventory and clean invoicing.
- Staffing & travel nurses — need quick placement, cleanable units, and proximity to hospitals.
- Construction / project teams — book in blocks and expect flexible move-ins.
- Agencies & corporate travel desks — demand COIs and net terms.
Buyers value certainty: availability, furnished comfort, invoicing clarity, and reliable ops.
Build a corporate-ready product offering
Make a repeatable package that sells:
- Clear product name and tiers (Standard Corporate 30–60, Premium Corporate 60+).
- Published price tiers (30 / 60 / 90+) and inclusions (utilities, Wi-Fi, cleaning frequency).
- Extra services: meet-and-greet, linen swaps, secure storage, parking.
- Corporate billing options: card-on-file, net 30/60 invoicing, PO-supported billing.
- Fast documentation: COI handling, lease addenda, emergency contacts.
Position this product in a single page or PDF you can email or attach to proposals.
Pricing & contract structures (practical approaches)
Corporate buyers expect clarity and predictable cost lines. Typical contract options:
- Fixed monthly rate + platform fees: simple for short pilots.
- Net terms (30/60) + PO: common for HR teams; require COI or credit checks.
- Block-booked discount: price per unit-night for bulk weeks/months.
- Management or sourcing fee: you take a margin if you source inventory for a client.
Use a hybrid: require first month + deposit up front, then offer net terms for approved corporate accounts.
The must-have items in corporate housing contracts
Make the contract short, clear, and enforceable. Key clauses:
- Parties, dates, and unit IDs.
- Rate, payment terms, and late-fee schedule.
- Cancellation & modification windows for pilots and block bookings.
- Insurance & COI requirements (naming host as additional insured when needed).
- Damage handling: deposit rules, claims timeline, and evidence requirements.
- Force majeure and event postponement language.
- Data handling: what guest data is stored and who owns it.
- SLA: check-in response times, turnover timing, and escalation path.
Attach SOPs (turnover checklist, welcome pack, emergency contacts) to the contract as annexes.
Sales process — step-by-step playbook to win contracts
- Target list: focus on industries with recurring need (hospitals, large employers, relocation companies).
- Outreach: short, confidence-led email offering a pilot unit and a one-page product sheet.
- Qualify quickly: ask booking cadence, approval process (PO/COI), and invoicing needs.
- Pilot: offer one paid trial unit for 30–60 days with standard SLA.
- Negotiate: agree on rates, payment cadence, and COI/PO process.
- Sign & onboard: run onboarding checklist and start first booking.
- Deliver & report: send weekly status and a simple reconciliation.
- Scale: add inventory or convert pilot terms into standing contract.
Sample outreach email (short, copy/paste)
Subject: Paid pilot — corporate housing for [Company Name] in [City]
Hi [Name],
I manage furnished monthly rentals near [driver: hospital/office/university]. We run a corporate-ready product with COI support and net terms for approved accounts. I can set up a paid 30–60 day pilot in [neighborhood] this month. Interested in a quick call to confirm needs?
— [Your name | Company | Phone | MiniStays link]
Onboarding checklist for corporate clients
- Signed contract + COI/PO.
- Invoice details + AP contact.
- Guest approval requirements and ID process.
- Preferred rate tiers and block dates.
- Access to booking calendar or feeds.
- Ops contact and escalation path.
Store this checklist in your Systems folder and attach it to each corporate account.
Account management & retention (how to get recurring contracts)
- Assign an account owner (VA or ops lead).
- Deliver a weekly booking & invoicing summary.
- Hold quarterly account reviews with usage and issues.
- Offer loyalty discounts or uplift for capacity guarantees.
- Track NPS and fix root causes fast.
KPIs to monitor: conversion rate from lead→pilot→contract, average length of stay, on-time turnovers, invoicing dispute rate.
Ops handoff — how to deliver reliability at scale
Corporate clients tolerate little friction. Build operations that match your promises:
- Automate booking → create turnover task → photo upload (10-photo standard).
- Require co-hosts/cleaners to upload photos within 2 hours.
- Standard SLA: check-in support within 2 hours, emergency response <4 hours.
- Centralized COI and invoice storage for audits.
- Weekly reconciliation: bookings → payouts → outstanding invoices.
These Ops practices belong in your Growth Toolkit and should attach to every corporate housing contract.
Legal, insurance & risk controls
- Require COI for corporate accounts. Have your broker confirm cover for furnished paid stays.
- Keep a standard lease addendum for mid-term stays and corporate billing.
- Maintain a damage reserve or insurance-backed deductible process.
- Draft simple dispute resolution steps to avoid long legal fights.
Template clauses (copy/paste-ready)
COI clause: “Client will provide a Certificate of Insurance naming [Host Company] as additional insured, covering commercial general liability for bookings exceeding 30 days.”
Payment clause: “Pilot: first-month payment due upon booking. Post-pilot: invoices on net-30 terms, payable by ACH or check.”
Pricing negotiation levers to protect margins
- Shorter notice bookings: apply a premium.
- Block bookings: require a non-refundable deposit.
- Longer-term commitments: offer tiered discounts at 60/90+ days.
- Add-ons (cleaning cadence, linen swaps) as separate line items.
- Pass-through taxes and platform fees clearly on invoice.
Technology & templates to speed corporate housing contracts onboarding
- A one-page corporate product sheet (PDF).
- Invoice template with tax lines and PO field.
- COI request form that auto-attaches to booking records.
- Quick reconciliation sheet that maps bookings → payouts → outstanding invoices.
- CRM tags for corporate prospects and renewal reminders.
Common pitfalls in corporate housing contracts (and how to avoid them)
- No COI policy: leads to insurance gaps — require COI early.
- Loose SLAs: corporate clients expect response guarantees. Define them.
- Manual invoicing: automate where possible to avoid missed payments.
- No pilot: pilots reveal ops gaps quickly; always pilot first.
Checklist — launch a corporate housing contracts pilot
- Create product sheet and pricing tiers.
- Identify local pilot unit and publish corporate-ready listing.
- Prepare contract + COI template.
- Vet co-host and cleaner; run a paid test turnover.
- Outreach to 10 qualified buyers; book 1 pilot in 30 days.
- Reconcile pilot month and present a short report.
Tieback to the Growth Toolkit: corporate housing contracts
Use corporate sales as a disciplined channel inside the Mid-Term Rentals Growth Toolkit — Ops, Finance & Portfolio. Save each pilot result, contract template, COI file, and vendor scorecard. That documentation turns a one-off corporate win into a repeatable revenue stream you can scale across markets.
Final note & where to test your corporate housing contracts pilot
Run your corporate pilot on channels that attract month-plus demand. Start hosting and testing on MiniStays to validate corporate interest quickly, then mirror to your direct channel for invoiced accounts.
Start hosting on MiniStays → https://ministays.com
