Introduction

Corporate housing promises comfort, billing simplicity, and flexibility. As the Gumball Properties message puts it, "When employees feel at home, they perform better." That is a useful starting point, but procurement teams need proof points: all-in pricing, tax and permit compliance, clear service-level agreements, and consistent quality across cities.

Below are practical steps to vet providers, validate cost claims, and protect both employees and the company from surprises.

Cost, transparency, and how to validate the "savings" claim

Marketing often cites single figures like "A month in a hotel can cost about 20% more than a comparable corporate apartment." That is a reasonable illustration, but real savings vary by city, season, taxes, parking, and incidental fees. Always validate with local, all-in comparisons.

• Request a sample all-in invoice for representative 30-, 60-, and 90-day scenarios with line items: rent, utilities, internet, taxes, parking, housekeeping, and any fees.
• Require a per-jurisdiction tax attestation explaining whether transient lodging taxes apply after 30 or 31 consecutive days.
• Get a clear definition of "all-inclusive" and any utility caps that could generate surcharges.

Supporting facts: typical inclusions across established providers are furnishings, linens, utilities, and high-speed internet — packages differ by company and market.

Compliance note: Cost comparisons (e.g., “20% more”) are illustrative and vary by market/season and fee/tax structures. Validate with local, all-in quotes before using in finance-facing materials.

Operational expectations and contract essentials

You need a housing partner that behaves like a reliable vendor. Convert marketing language into contractual deliverables so billing and operations run predictably.

• Single monthly invoice with line-item detail for each stay and a corporate billing option.
• Assigned account manager and a maintenance SLA with guaranteed response times for emergencies and non-urgent repairs.
• Flexible extension/cancellation terms (month-to-month following a minimum stay), with clear early-termination/extension fees.
• Proof of insurance and a clause requiring compliance with local short-term rental (STR) and permitting rules.

Compliance note: Frame SLA response times as targets/commitments unless explicitly guaranteed in the signed contract; document escalation paths and exceptions.

Checklist of contract items to require

• Three anonymized sample invoices for 30/60/90-day stays in representative markets.
• Utility cap terms spelled out and an example of how overages are billed.
• Tax and permit compliance statement for jurisdictions where placements will occur.
• SLA for maintenance response (e.g., initial contact within 1 hour for emergencies).
• Onboarding and exit-condition standards (inspection checklist, deposit handling).
• Billing cadence and dispute-resolution timetable.

Employee experience, measurement, and reasonable claims about productivity

Comfortable, fully furnished apartments with kitchens and workspaces reduce friction that can affect morale and focus. Use proxies and operational KPIs to measure value rather than relying on broad productivity claims.

• Short post-stay satisfaction surveys (net satisfaction) as a proxy for employee experience.
• Operational KPIs: time to resolve maintenance issues, extension/renewal rates, invoice discrepancies, and assignment-level productivity indicators where available.
• Be cautious about citing precise productivity boosts from housing alone—most evidence is correlational (reduced stress, better routines) rather than causal.

"When employees feel at home, they perform better."

Practical examples and anecdotes

• A relocation manager avoided a surprise winter electric surcharge after requiring a utility-cap clause in the contract.
• An executive extended a 45-day assignment by three weeks with no dispute because the provider offered month-to-month terms and immediate invoicing for the extension.
• Comparing two sample invoices for a 60-day assignment revealed how hotel taxes and parking made the hotel materially more expensive than a corporate-apartment all-in price.

Compliance note: Quotations reflect provider statements and may not apply universally; verify inclusions, terms, and pricing in the final contract for each jurisdiction.

Quick procurement-ready RFP items

1. Request three anonymized sample invoices for 30/60/90-day stays in representative cities.
2. Require a written tax/permit attestation for the jurisdictions in scope.
3. Insist on an assigned account manager, contact escalation path, and documented SLAs.
4. Require an inventory list (furniture and housewares) and housekeeping frequency.
5. Include a clause for monthly reconciliation and a dispute-resolution timetable.
6. Ask for sample contract language for utility caps, cancellation/extension fees, and insurance placement.

Short supporting quotations

"When employees feel at home, they perform better."

"A month in a hotel can cost about 20% more than a comparable corporate apartment."

"One monthly rate covers everything, rent, Wi-Fi, utilities, even housekeeping."

"Month-to-month options make it easy to extend or relocate without disruption."

Compliance note: Treat these quotes as illustrative; confirm terms, inclusions, and pricing with current, local, all-in quotes before using in external materials.

Conclusion and next steps

Corporate housing can reduce administrative burden and improve the relocating-employee experience, but the difference between promised value and delivered value lives in the details. Convert marketing claims into procurement checks: ask for all-in invoices, tax attestation, SLAs, and an assigned account manager.

Treat percentage savings like "illustrative" rather than definitive and validate with local, all-in comparisons before presenting ROI to finance.

Recommended next asks for providers: sample all-in invoices (30/60/90 days), a tax/permit attestation per jurisdiction, assigned account manager details, SLA definitions, and sample contract clauses for utility caps and extensions.

Industry / provider resources: Gumball Properties · Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA)