Landlord Diaries - The Monthly Rentals Podcast

Furnished Finder
  • 4.8 (91)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Landlord Diaries is a podcast all about mid-term monthly rentals and low-stress real estate investing. On the show, hosts and fellow monthly rentals landlords Kelly Bailey & Katie Lyon discuss topics like investment strategy, property management, and tips for using Furnished Finder to be a top monthly rentals landlord. By listening, you’ll walk away with creative ways to maximize your real estate investment, create passive income, as well as hear some entertaining and interesting landlord stories. Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, the trusted leader in mid-term monthly rentals. We are the go-to source for millions of travelers seeking monthly furnished housing throughout the US. Best of all, Furnished Finder never takes any booking fees or commissions, and has one simple, annual listing fee for property owners. List your property today! Visit FurnishedFinder.com to learn more.

  1. 23h ago

    Katie & Kelly's Booking Process That Keeps Them Over 90% Booked

    Landlord Diaries show hosts Katie and Kelly have managed hundreds of midterm rental bookings on Furnished Finder and maintain over 90% occupancy year after year. In this episode of Landlord Diaries, they break down their exact midterm rental booking process & property management tips behind those numbers so you can apply it to your own real estate investing today. What you'll learn in this episode: The full Furnished Finder booking process from first lead to move in dayHow to write a first message that actually gets booking requestsHow to handle tenants who push back on tenant screeningHow to read tenant screening results and apply consistent standardsWhat belongs in your mid term rental lease (and what most landlords miss)When to collect security deposits, cleaning fees, and rentThe top reasons landlords are not getting Furnished Finder leadsThe listing photo mistakes that kill bookingsWhy mid term rental pricing is different from short term rental pricingHow to prepare your property for tenant move in Whether you are a new landlord, a short term rental host pivoting to monthly stays, a long term landlord chasing more cashflow, a retiree building a rental side hustle, or a real estate investor working toward financial freedom and passive income, this episode gives you a step by step Furnished Finder booking process you can use immediately. List Your Property on Furnished Finder:  https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings. Topics covered: mid term rental booking process, Furnished Finder leads, tenant screening, MTR lease tips, rent collection, Baselane, landlord communication, listing photos, pricing strategy, move in preparation, midterm rental occupancy, passive income, real estate investing. Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, The Monthly Rentals Podcast 1:00 The booking that almost didn't happen and the move that saved it 2:00 Kelly's booking process 60 days before move out 4:20 How Katie's booking process has evolved 7:25 How the Furnished Finder calendar matches tenants and landlords 7:45 What to do when tenants stop responding 8:50 The first message rule that wins more bookings 10:30 How fast you really need to respond to leads 11:50 Why different tenant types have different lead times 12:45 The best move when a tenant pushes back on screening 13:55 How the Furnished Finder tenant screening process works 14:50 How Kelly screens tenants and reads the results 18:30 Katie's hard line approach to screening results 19:50 Locking in the booking with an online MTR lease 21:10 Collecting deposits, cleaning fees, and rent the right way 22:00 Pro tips to boost demand for your listing 25:45 The pricing mistake new MTR landlords keep making 27:00 First steps to prepare your property for move in 30:10 Rapid fire: worst listing photos, and the wildest things travelers bring Rocket Lawyer Lease Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utUx-cujxm8 Katie’s Properties: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=katie.lyon8 Kelly’s Properties: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=Kelly.Bailey13 The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    35 min

  2. Jun 1

    The Accidental Landlord Who Put $100K Into Her Dad's House and Never Looked Back

    What do you do when you inherit a house you never planned to keep, sink $100,000 into renovations, and fall in love with a property 1,000 miles away? You figure out how to keep it without it becoming a financial burden. In this episode of Landlord Diaries, Brenna De Wilde shares how she inherited her father's home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, completed a full gut renovation mostly by herself, and chose mid-term rentals on Furnished Finder over Airbnb and long-term leasing. What followed changed how she thinks about retirement, real estate, and what it means to be a landlord. Whether you are a new landlord, a real estate investor exploring mid-term rentals, a short-term rental host frustrated by Airbnb fees, or someone building toward financial freedom through real estate, this episode delivers a real story with real numbers and real lessons. What you will learn in this episode: Why she skipped Airbnb and chose mid-term rentals insteadHow out of state landlording is more manageable than most people thinkWhy mid-term tenants treat your property differently than long-term rentersHow returning tenants can anchor your calendar and reduce vacancy stressWhat she underestimated about managing a rental property remotelyWhy mid-term rentals require only four tenants per year on averageHow to find out if your market works for monthly rentals using Furnished Finder's free Market Insights tool List Your Property Now on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property (Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings)   TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries 0:30 Inheriting a house and sinking $100K into it 3:00 Why she skipped Airbnb from the start 4:25 The moment she decided not to sell 6:45 Choosing Furnished Finder over Airbnb 9:00 How her tenants improved her property 10:30 Why MTR tenants treat your home better 13:00 Brenna made the furnishing process personal 15:45 Using vacancy gaps to maintain the property 17:00 When she knew this strategy worked year round 20:15 Tenants so good she refunded their cleaning fee 21:45 How she handles returning seasonal tenants 24:55 How the Furnished Finder calendar works for landlords 25:30 Her tenant screening process 27:45 Why landlords have more control on Furnished Finder 28:35 How her dad's home became her retirement plan 31:10 Advice for brand new monthly rental landlords 32:50 The part of out of state landlording she underestimated 36:15 Modernizing rent collection with Baselane 37:15 How to know if your market works for monthly rentals 39:25 What would your dad say if he saw the property today 41:10 One renovation mistake she will never make again Trending Monthly Midterm Rental Resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources Brenna’s Listing on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?id=4d7ad69-4ae0-a46-7ed-837992 The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    46 min

  3. May 18

    Monthly Rental Demand in My City? Trust Furnished Finder

    Wondering if your city has enough monthly rental demand to make a midterm rental worth it? In this episode, Furnished Finder Senior Product Manager Kristen James shares how landlords and real estate investors can use the updated Market Insights page to understand rental demand, pricing, tenant types, amenities, and local market opportunity before making their next move. If you are a landlord, real estate investor, entrepreneur or someone building looking to build cash flow through real estate investing, this episode will help you answer one of the biggest questions in midterm rentals: “Is my area a good fit?” Kristen walks us through why Furnished Finder redesigned the Market Insights page, how it shifted from basic stats to actionable market insights, and how landlords can use real demand signals to improve their rental strategy. You will learn how to compare traveler demand to available listings, check average rental rates by bedroom size, understand what tenant types are searching in your area, and make smarter decisions around amenities, pricing, and positioning. This is especially helpful if you are deciding whether to furnish a property, optimize an existing midterm rental, expand into a new market, or better understand who is searching for monthly rentals in your city. Check Monthly Rental Demand Nationwide: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/stats List Your Property on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property  Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings AirDNA + Furnished Finder Monthly Rental Report: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/resources/monthly-rental-market-trends-report Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to The Landlord Diaries, The Monthly Rentals Podcast 1:15 Kristen James product background and Furnished Finder role 3:30 Why Furnished Finder redesigned the Market Insights page 4:45 How landlords can check average rental rates by bedroom size 5:15 Is your city a good fit for monthly rentals? 7:55 From inventory stats to real demand insights 10:45 Key demand signals every monthly rental landlord should watch 12:45 How new and existing landlords can use Market Insights 15:55 How changing industries can shift tenant demand 17:10 How to read the story of your rental market 19:05 What is coming next for Furnished Finder Market Insights 21:30 Rapid fire: swap jobs with someone at Furnished Finder 23:25 Rapid fire: one skill the team uses every day The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    30 min

  4. May 4

    Long Term Rent is $2K | My 4 Bedroom Rental Brings in $5k a Month!

    In Linda Allen’s market, long term rent for a 4 bedroom home sits around $2,000 per month. Instead of signing a traditional lease, she used market research to launch it as a midterm rental that brings in $5,000+ per month. In this episode of Landlord Diaries, we break down how analyzing midterm rental demand helped her choose larger vs smaller units from the start. But here’s the most interesting part, she got started through rental arbitrage without purchasing the property. Today Linda manages six midterm rentals using simple, repeatable systems. In this episode, you will learn: How to use market research to validate midterm rental demandWhy larger 4 bedroom homes can create stronger profit marginsHow to structure a rental arbitrage agreement with landlordsThe repeatable system she uses to acquire and qualify propertiesHow to furnish strategically to support $5K+ monthly incomeThe messaging system that converts leads into 30+ day bookings If you are comparing long term rent vs midterm rental income, or looking for a way to enter real estate without purchasing property, this conversation shows how arbitrage and Furnished Finder can create scalable monthly cash flow. List Your Property Now on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property (Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings) Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, The Monthly Rentals Podcast 1:00 Why arbitrage and co hosting ca be a smart real estate entry point 3:30 Why 4 bedroom homes create stronger profit margins 4:45 How to use Furnished Finder Market Insights to validate demand 5:15 Linda’s repeatable system for property acquisition 7:30 The furnishing system that makes scaling easier 10:45 The operational checklist every landlord needs before guests arrive 13:20 How to design for your target tenant and increase booking appeal 15:45 The messaging system that converts more Furnished Finder leads 17:50 Audit your listing like a tenant to improve marketing performance 19:10 Writing listing titles that stop the scroll 21:35 Why 2 travelers often book a 4 bedroom home 23:10 What to do with leads when your calendar is full 26:30 Rapid Fire: investor mindset and the tool that runs her rentals 29:00 How to connect with Linda Trending Monthly Midterm Rental Resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources Linda’s Listings on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?id=8b0bbb4-4957-a28-a75-58d7c8 The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    32 min

  5. Apr 20

    Most landlords don't know it... but they're making rent collection harder

    Most landlords are collecting rent the wrong way… and it’s creating more stress than it should. From late payments to manual tracking and risky apps like Venmo or Zelle, the way you collect rent can either simplify your business or slow it down. In this episode of Landlord Diaries, we sit down with Saad Dar, VP of Sales and Partnerships at Baselane , to talk about how landlords can simplify rent collection, banking, and financial management all in one place. Episode Highlights Get paid on time with automation and faster transfersOffer tenants flexible payment options including $0 ACH paymentsAvoid risks like partial payments, missed rent, and poor trackingStay organized with built-in banking and reporting toolsWith over 250 million site visits each year and 6 million travelers searching for monthly housing, Furnished Finder continues to help landlords create steady, reliable income through monthly rentals. Whether you have one property or a growing portfolio, this episode will show you how to run your rental business with more ease, more confidence, and less stress. 👉 Get started with Baselane inside your Furnished Finder Landlord Tools List Your Property Now on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property (Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings) ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, The Monthly Rentals Podcast 1:05 Why Furnished Finder partnered with Baselane for rent payments 1:35 The biggest rent payment challenges landlords face today 3:15 Real story: What went wrong using Zelle for rent 5:15 Solving payment limits, reminders, and missed rent 6:00 Why most payment apps fail landlords and what works instead 7:25 Security risks with rent payments and how to protect yourself 9:45 Tools every landlord needs for a smooth booking experience 11:00 Treat your rental like a real business 11:45 What Baselane is and how it helps landlords 14:40 How to introduce Baselane rent payments to tenants 16:35 What to do before handing over keys or access 17:10 Make it easy to get paid as a landlord 18:10 Why rent collection creates stress and how to fix it 19:45 The shift to online payments for rentals 20:50 Why monthly rental tenants are easier to manage 22:00 Why Baselane works for any landlord, even beginners 24:30 Where to find Baselane in your Furnished Finder account 25:05 Rapid fire: Baselane culture and what’s coming next Trending Monthly Midterm Rental Resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    28 min

  6. Apr 6

    Katie Left 13 Midterm Rentals with a Manager for 2 Weeks — Here's What Happened

    What happens when a real estate investor hands off 13 midterm rentals for two weeks to a property management team while traveling out of the country? In this episode of Landlord Diaries by Furnished Finder, Katie shares what happened when Zach and Amanda Palmer stepped in to manage her monthly rentals while she was on vacation with her family. They break down the systems, communication, tenant management, and operational habits that made it possible to keep everything running smoothly across multiple furnished rentals. You’ll also hear how Zach and Amanda are building their own midterm rental business, why they chose the MTR strategy for their ADU, how a small furnished rental is helping cover a major portion of their mortgage, and which simple changes increased tenant demand. This episode is packed with practical takeaways for real estate investors, landlords, and hosts who want to scale monthly furnished rentals, improve operations, and make better use of Furnished Finder tools.  If you are exploring midterm rentals, monthly rentals, travel nurse housing, ADU investing, self-managing rentals, or Furnished Finder listing strategies, this episode is for you. Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, the monthly rentals podcast 1:00 Zach and Amanda’s real estate investing story and current portfolio 1:30 Katie asks them to manage her properties for 2 weeks 3:00 The systems behind a smooth midterm rental operation 5:45 Are MTR tenant needs different across markets? 6:50 Why communication style matters in monthly rentals 8:30 First steps to set up a successful midterm rental 10:30 How to find the right cleaner for your MTR 12:40 Why they bought a property with an ADU 17:10 Why the ADU became a midterm rental 17:40 How a 400 sq ft ADU covers half the mortgage 18:45 The one change that increased tenant demand 20:15 Roundtable: biggest game changers in their MTR business 23:05 Responsiveness and flexibility win more bookings 23:50 Why documenting your setup and using Google Voice helps 26:10 Rapid fire real estate lessons and who they trust most Resources List Your Property on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings Trending Midterm Rental Resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources Palmer Listings on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?id=d559824-4b7c-a58-98a-b8be64 Host Katie Lyon’s Properties: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=katie.lyon8 Host Kelly Bailey’s Properties: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=Kelly.Bailey13 The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    34 min

  7. Mar 23

    STR w/ MTR: The Rental Strategy Making Landlords More Money With Less Work

    What if you could keep the income of short term rentals but lose most of the daily work? There is a powerful middle ground between Airbnb and long term rentals that most investors completely overlook. In this episode of Landlord Diaries, we sit down with Tim Hubbard, CEO of Corzly and host of the Short Term Rental Riches podcast, to unpack why experienced short term rental investors are adding midterm rentals. Tim has hosted more than 50,000 guests across 10 countries and manages more than 200 properties worldwide. His portfolio includes both short term rentals and monthly furnished rentals, giving him a unique perspective on how investors can blend both strategies for stronger returns, fewer vacancies, and simpler operations. You will learn why many landlords are discovering that midterm rentals are the sweet spot between short term and long term leasing. With monthly tenants staying an average of around 100 days on Furnished Finder, landlords can enjoy steady income with far fewer turnovers. We also explore how investors manage furnished rentals from hundreds or even thousands of miles away, how to pivot properties seasonally between STR and MTR, and why platforms like Furnished Finder are becoming essential for landlords looking to capture growing demand from traveling professionals, relocating families, travel nurses and more. Furnished Finder currently connects more than 240,000 landlords with over 6 million travelers each year looking for monthly housing, making it the largest platforms dedicated to midterm rentals. If you are a real estate investor, Airbnb host, or landlord looking to stabilize income while reducing operational headaches, this conversation will show you how monthly furnished rentals can fit into your portfolio. List your property on Furnished Finder now: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings. Monthly rental resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, The Monthly Rentals Podcast 1:25 Tim Hubbard’s investing journey and how Corzly scaled into STR and MTR 2:10 Why midterm rentals became a natural evolution for experienced STR investors 3:20 Managing furnished rentals remotely from 100 miles to 1,000+ miles away 5:20 Why monthly rentals are the “sweet spot” between short term and long term rentals 7:30 Common midterm rental myths that stop landlords from getting started 9:35 How to determine if your property should be STR, MTR, or a hybrid strategy 12:45 The one automation system that made scaling remote rentals easier 15:25 What guests love most when staying in furnished rentals for months 17:10 Key policy differences between short term and midterm rental agreements 20:25 When STR vs MTR makes the most sense seasonally 23:30 Why investors lose money by ignoring midterm rentals during STR off seasons 25:20 Building trust with both short term guests and monthly tenants 30:15 Hidden tools and overlooked features on Furnished Finder 32:00 Advice for landlords nervous about managing rentals remotely 33:10 What every landlord should include in a midterm rental guidebook 34:20 Where the midterm rental market is heading over the next few years 35:00 Rapid Fire: mistakes new hosts make and one lease policy every landlord should add The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    45 min

  8. Mar 6

    Hosting as a Couple: How We Run a Profitable Midterm Rental Business Without Quitting Our Jobs

    Can a firefighter and paramedic build a profitable midterm rental business while working demanding W2 jobs? In this episode, you will learn how monthly rentals on Furnished Finder can create consistent income, significantly fewer turnovers than Airbnb, and a scalable real estate side hustle without quitting your job.   Mike and Celine Gonzalez share how they transitioned from accidental insurance bookings to a thriving monthly rental portfolio that now includes STRs, MTRs, partnerships, and a coaching business.  After discovering Furnished Finder through this very podcast, they listed their property before it was even finished and received multiple 3 to 4 month booking requests within days. You will learn: The difference between short term vs midterm renter psychologyHow couples can divide roles without damaging their relationshipThe exact Furnished Finder tools they rely on for tenant screening, leases, rent collection, and messaging templatesWhy responding fast to leads can make or break your occupancyHow midterm rentals align with full time or service based careers like fire and EMSIf you are a real estate investor, W2 employee, or couple looking for a scalable rental side hustle with less turnover and more stability than Airbnb, this episode breaks down a proven path. List Your Property on Furnished Finder: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property  Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings   ⏱ Episode Timestamps 0:00 Introduction to Landlord Diaries and Monthly Rental Investing 2:05 Who introduced the idea of furnished and midterm rentals first 4:30 Scaling beyond the first 9 month insurance booking 6:20 Short term vs midterm renter mindset and guest behavior differences 7:30 Current STR and MTR portfolio breakdown and partnership properties 10:55 How a firefighter and paramedic manage a midterm rental side hustle 15:25 Advice from experienced hosts on working with your spouse 18:20 Creating boundaries between marriage, W2 careers, and rental business 20:00 Staying in your lane and focusing on growth instead of busy tasks 21:45 Essential systems and tools for running a successful midterm rental 24:50 Why Furnished Finder leads drive consistent monthly bookings 25:55 Using message templates to respond quickly and win bookings 27:35 Leveraging the Furnished Finder dashboard for screening, leases, and payments 28:40 Defining your mission and long term goals before scaling 30:45 Why service first hosting leads to long term profitability 32:55 Receiving booking requests before the property is fully furnished 35:05 Rapid fire questions: The one rental task you would hand off to your partner   Explore Midterm Rental Resources: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResources   View Mike and Celine’s Furnished Finder Listings: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=Mike_G   The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

    40 min
See All (172)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
91 Ratings

About

Landlord Diaries is a podcast all about mid-term monthly rentals and low-stress real estate investing. On the show, hosts and fellow monthly rentals landlords Kelly Bailey & Katie Lyon discuss topics like investment strategy, property management, and tips for using Furnished Finder to be a top monthly rentals landlord. By listening, you’ll walk away with creative ways to maximize your real estate investment, create passive income, as well as hear some entertaining and interesting landlord stories. Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, the trusted leader in mid-term monthly rentals. We are the go-to source for millions of travelers seeking monthly furnished housing throughout the US. Best of all, Furnished Finder never takes any booking fees or commissions, and has one simple, annual listing fee for property owners. List your property today! Visit FurnishedFinder.com to learn more.

Information

You Might Also Like