Is a Midterm Rental a Smart First Investment Strategy in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio
Medium-Term Rentals
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Is a Midterm Rental a Smart First Investment Strategy in Columbus

Melissa Adams
Columbus, OH · Member since 2025 · 25 posts · 30 votes

Hi everyone! I'm a first-time investor preparing to buy my first property in the next 6+ months and I'm exploring a midterm rental (30+ days) strategy in Columbus, OH. 
My goal is to generate solid cash flow without getting overwhelmed by short-term turnover. I'm considering targeting: 

*Airline crew near CMH

*Traveling professionals or contractors downtown

I'm trying to decide whether an MTR is a smart first step compared to a traditional long-term rental. 

For anyone who's started with MTRS or made the switch:

*What were the biggest surprises (good or bad)?

*Any pros or cons I should know as a first-timer?

*Did the numbers work out better than long-term rentals?

Thanks for the insight- I'm here to learn and plan carefully before jumping in! 

#MidtermRental #MTR #ColumbusOH #FirstTimeInvestor #ExtendedStay

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Kelly BaileyPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 32 posts · 29 votes
1y

Yes, MTR is great for new landlords. Best tenants, less wear and tear on your property and typically 1.5-2x the rental rate compared to long term rentals. I would check out FurnishedFinder.com/stats for Columbus and call MTR hosts in that area. All you need is a reliable cleaner and a handyman to get started. You can even post the property prior to furnishing with "coming soon". Many of us secure our first guest before we've even finished furnishing the property. 

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  • Allen DuanPro Member
    Property Manager · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2022 · 590 posts · 463 votes
    1y

    Not sure if he's on Bigger Pockets, but Ben Vail is my MTR go to for the Columbus market. I'm sure he can help with any market specific questions. https://www.housepitality.io/

    I manage MTRs in Los Angeles, so let me know if I can help in any way.

    1Reply
  • Kerlous TadresBusiness Member
    Realtor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Hey Melissa! MTRs can be a great choice in Columbus, especially with demand from airline crews and traveling professionals. From my experience, they offer solid cash flow without the constant turnover of short-term rentals, but they still require some active management. The numbers often work out better than traditional long-term rentals because you can charge higher rent for the flexibility of a furnished, mid-term lease.
    Biggest surprise? You’ll still need to stay on top of maintenance between tenants, and vacancy can be an issue if the area isn’t in high demand. For a first-timer, I’d say it’s a good balance between cash flow and management effort, but make sure your property is in a desirable location. If the area is solid (like near the airport or downtown), it should work well.

    [email protected]614-490-1163
    Kerlous Tadres | Reafco Real Estate542 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
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  • Anthony L Amos Jr
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus | Toledo · Member since 2019 · 608 posts · 768 votes
    1y

    Anduril is building a 900m - 1B manufacturing facility near Rickenbacker Airport. This area is worth a look 

    1Reply
  • Melissa Adams
    OP
    Columbus, OH · Member since 2025 · 25 posts · 30 votes
    1y

    Thanks so much, Kerlous! I appreciate you sharing your experience. That balance between cash flow and management effort is an aspect I’m trying to understand as I plan my first step. 

    0Reply
  • Melissa Adams
    OP
    Columbus, OH · Member since 2025 · 25 posts · 30 votes
    1y

    Thank you for the heads-up, Anthony. I hadn’t heard that about Anduril. That area could definitely make sense for a MTR demand, especially with contractors. I’ll take a closer look!

    0Reply
  • Kelly BaileyPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 32 posts · 29 votes
    1y

    Yes, MTR is great for new landlords. Best tenants, less wear and tear on your property and typically 1.5-2x the rental rate compared to long term rentals. I would check out FurnishedFinder.com/stats for Columbus and call MTR hosts in that area. All you need is a reliable cleaner and a handyman to get started. You can even post the property prior to furnishing with "coming soon". Many of us secure our first guest before we've even finished furnishing the property. 

    3Reply
  • Melissa Adams
    OP
    Columbus, OH · Member since 2025 · 25 posts · 30 votes
    1y

    Thanks, Kelly! This is super helpful. Since this is my first property, I really appreciate your practical tips, especially about securing that first guest early. Great idea on reaching out to local hosts too- I hadn't thought of that. 

    0Reply
  • Jeremy Jareckyj
    Real Estate Agent · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2020 · 490 posts · 205 votes
    1y

    I have heard good things about MTR in columbus!

    1Reply
  • Scott AllenBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2020 · 449 posts · 471 votes
    1y

    @Melissa Adams if you buy a duplex - run your numbers off of how it will work as an LTR still so that you know it can still work. Depending on where it's at, you can very easily convert one side if not both sides into MTR's. You do have to do a little bit more work with MTR's like furnishing the unit but that's also how you get more in rent compared to an LTR. 

    The con's are that you will have to handle leasing a little more often but you still have the option to Airbnb during that time period to find another MTR tenant. 

    If you want to make a duplex perform more steady/have less leasing to handle - having one LTR tenant in place on one side and doing STR and MTR with the other side is a great way to generate more cashflow

    [email protected]614-698-1227
    Reafco - Columbus, OH
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Drew Clayton
    Member since 2019 · 71 posts · 38 votes
    1y

    @Melissa Adams, some things I've learned as I have tried unsuccessfully to run an MTR in Columbus: 

    1. Be sure the property you have (or acquire) works for your target renter. I have a 3-bed house that never got a lot of interest from mid-term renters on Furnished Finder leads to whom I reached out or from Airbnb because most people traveling for work need only a 1-bd or 2-bd place. Anything bigger is more cost that they don't want to spend (travel nurses, for example aren't getting the big paychecks they were during the roughest early demand of the pandemic). Waiting for a family who needs a lot of space while they build their own house for many months or whatever is not a good business model. 

    2. Location maters, but not in the same way that an STR does. It's great if you're near some restaurants or attractions, but a lot of strong MTRs are able to operate in normal neighborhoods that require a car, which MTR tenants usually have. I'd say it's more important to be near a grocery store. Stay out of neighborhoods that are more transitional where the LTR numbers make more sense like Linden, because they are food deserts and might scare off out-of-town workers who just want a comfortable, safe place to sleep and quick access to their job or the freeway. Plan ahead too—you don't want to buy in a neighborhood like New Albany where property prices spiked because of the Intel plant, which won't be under construction much longer, and won't need as many MTR rentals once complete.

    3. Play to the city's strengths. Columbus is a healthcare town. There are still a lot of traveling healthcare professionals. A bedroom or two close to facilities where they work can serve you well. Pro tip: if you get a place without stairs and maybe with some accessibility features, I regularly get STR guests who need a couple bedrooms while a family member is getting treatment for a week or two. That can fill in gaps in your MTR (though you will have to get an STR license, which requires a few hurdles to jump through in Columbus with the city license section office).

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