Faced with rising vacancies in a cooling multifamily market, a growing share of property operators appear open to alternative leasing models—especially mid-term rentals that cater to transitional tenants seeking stays of one to nine months.
A recent survey of 200 multifamily asset managers, conducted by Zogby Analytics and commissioned by mid-term rental platform Landing, found that 88% of respondents would be likely to adopt mid-term models to help reduce vacancy. Nearly half already offer such stays to some degree, while a third use them extensively. Landing defines the category as furnished apartments leased for at least 30 days but less than 9 months, often appealing to corporate or relocating renters.
Overall, 93% of the surveyed operators said they were open to trying new revenue models. The same group also reported experimenting with other approaches—61% had tested co-living or roommate-focused leases and 54% had tried revenue-sharing or short-term pop-up leasing.
The methodology section noted that Zogby Analytics invited “thousands of professionals” through internal and partner resources. With 200 responses, the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.9 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Of those already using mid-term rentals, 92% rely on a professional service to manage the stays—an arrangement that aligns with Landing’s observation that property managers often lack the corporate marketing reach to target transitional renters. Among non-adopters, 66% said they would need turnkey furnishing and setup support to move forward.
Still, uncertainty remains. 44% of non-adopters said they were unsure about demand, and 38% cited logistical complexity as a concern. Only 3% saw no meaningful benefit in the model.
The timing of the survey reflects growing pressure in the multifamily sector. According to CoStar forecasts, national rent growth is expected to turn negative, sliding from 0.6% in the third quarter of 2025 to -0.1% in the fourth quarter. Vacancies are projected to reach 8.2% by year-end before easing to 7.9% in 2026 as new deliveries fall sharply—by 28% in 2025 and another 55% in 2026—gradually absorbing oversupply.
Yet market averages mask substantial variation. In some metros and submarkets, individual properties may face deeper vacancies, potentially heightening the appeal of flexible revenue models like mid-term rentals.
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