How Long Can You Stay?

One of the most common questions people have about corporate housing is how long they can stay — and whether it is flexible enough to match the unpredictable nature of work assignments, relocations, and life transitions. The short answer: corporate housing is far more flexible than a standard apartment lease, and it is designed to accommodate stays ranging from one month to well over a year.

The Minimum Stay: Typically 30 Days

Corporate housing is distinct from vacation rentals and short-term rentals like Airbnb in one important way: it’s primary focus is not priced or structured for nightly stays. The minimum stay at Home Street Serviced Apartments is often 30 days. This threshold is intentional — it keeps rates more affordable than a hotel, ensures a stable, home-like environment, and aligns with the realities of most professional assignments. In some cases, where local regulations allow, we can offer shorter than 30 day stays if we have gaps between our longer term reservations.

If you need housing for less than 30 days, a hotel or short-term rental may be a better fit. But if your stay is 30 days or more, corporate housing almost always delivers more value, more space, and a more comfortable experience.

Typical Stay Durations

Corporate housing guests stay for a wide range of durations depending on their situation:

• 1–3 months: The most common duration for project-based work assignments, consulting engagements, and short-term relocations. A consultant placed in Columbus for a 10-week engagement, for example, would book a 3-month furnished apartment rather than extend a hotel stay.
• 3–6 months: Common for travel nurses on 13-week contracts (with potential extensions), employees in the early phase of a relocation who need time to find a permanent home, and seasonal workers.
• 6–12 months: Longer relocation transitions, year-long project assignments, and employees waiting on home construction or a specific home purchase can all benefit from a 6–12 month furnished apartment stay.
• 12+ months: Some guests extend well beyond a year, particularly those in ongoing assignments or who find that corporate housing continues to be more practical and cost-effective than a traditional lease for their lifestyle.

How Extensions Work

Month-to-month is the most common extension arrangement at HSSA, and the most flexible way to manage an uncertain end date. Rather than locking in a hard move-out date upfront, many guests simply renew on a month-to-month basis — keeping housing active until the assignment wraps, with no pressure to project an exact end date in advance.

If your assignment is extended — which is common in consulting, healthcare, and corporate relocation — you simply contact HSSA before your current term ends. If the unit is available (and it usually is, given advance notice), a month-to-month renewal or fixed extension is straightforward. Your rate is typically held for the extension period, and the paperwork is minimal.

HSSA recommends communicating extension needs as early as possible — ideally two to four weeks before your scheduled move-out date — so that the apartment can be held and the reservation paperwork updated without interruption to your stay.

Common Scenarios and How They Match Up

The 3-Month Project Assignment

A software engineer placed on a 12-week implementation project in Indianapolis does not want to pay hotel rates for three months. A furnished apartment provides a proper workspace, a full kitchen for cost-effective meals, and a comfortable living space — for significantly less per month than an extended hotel stay.

The 6-Month Relocation

An executive relocating from Chicago to Columbus may need 4–6 months to sell their home, search the Columbus market, and close on a new property. Corporate housing bridges that gap without requiring them to sign a 12-month lease in a neighborhood they may not end up choosing.

The Year-Long Contract

A government contractor placed on a 12-month assignment benefits from the stability of a long-term furnished apartment — without the overhead of a full lease, utility deposits, and furniture purchases that a traditional apartment would require.

How Corporate Housing Differs from Vacation Rentals

Vacation rentals (Airbnb, VRBO) are priced per night and optimized for short leisure stays. They are not designed for 30+ day professional stays, lack consistent quality standards, and are not equipped for corporate billing. Corporate housing is a professional product — consistent, invoiceable, agreement-governed, and built for the extended stay market.