This week, Furnished Finder became a housing partner for Cade Klubnik, the Jets' rookie quarterback who just played his first NFL preseason. It's a fun one for us since Klubnik is originally from Westlake, a suburb of Austin, TX where Furnished Finder is headquartered. Needless to say, we are rooting for him.
But the Klubnik partnership points at something bigger than one player. Athletes are a quiet corner of our tenant community, and a bigger one than most landlords realize. NFL players in training camp. Minor leaguers called up with two weeks' notice. LA28 Olympic hopefuls who just relocated to train with a new coach. College athletes going pro and figuring out where they're landing.
Furnished Finder wasn't built just for athletes, but it turns out it's pretty perfect for them. Here's why, and what it means if you're a landlord deciding whether this tenant type is worth pursuing.
Why athletes choose monthly furnished rentals
When you're in a new city for a month or longer, a hotel isn't a home. You can't cook. You can't spread out. You definitely can't sleep as well as you can at home. For someone whose job depends on rest, food, and real space, that matters, and most athletes are navigating a move with hardly any notice.
That's the same gap we cover in Furnished Housing for Athletes (opens in new tab): full kitchens, adequate rest space, and lease terms that flex with a trade or a call-up instead of locking someone into a year they can't predict. Our Landlord Diaries conversation with Clubbie, Athletes Are Flocking to Monthly Rentals, Landlords Be Ready (opens in new tab), digs into the same demand from the investment side. It's worth a watch if you want the fuller picture.
Real stories from our Made Possible contest: what this looks like in practice
These aren't hypotheticals. A couple of athletes who found housing through Furnished Finder, in their own words:
Jessica Medina, a professional basketball player with eight years overseas, got a short-notice call for a six-month Team USA Handball residency ahead of the 2028 Olympics. "This is where Furnished Finder made what has been a life altering decision more smooth than I could ever hope for," she said, and pointed to finding a welcoming host and a move-in ready place as what made it work.
Madison Lockwood-Powell, whose husband plays minor league baseball, has found four homes through the platform across a career defined by frequent relocation. "In a lifestyle filled with uncertainty, it's provided us with comfort, stability, and a place to call home, no matter where the season takes us," she said.
What makes athletes excellent tenants
A few things make this tenant type stand out:
Their income is stable and verifiable. Rent is backed by a team contract, a league salary, or a training stipend, not a paycheck that could disappear next month.
They have something to protect. An athlete's reputation follows them. Trashing a rental isn't worth the risk to someone whose next city might hear about it.
Their timelines are predictable, even when their notice isn't. Spring training runs a set window. Training camps run a set window. A season has a start and an end. Once you know the calendar for the sport, you can plan around it.
Many are vetted before they ever reach you. Placement agencies like Clubbie (opens in new tab) handle screening, move-in and move-out logistics, and maintenance communication for a lot of athlete housing. You're often working with a professional intermediary.
How to attract athletes to your listing
If you want your listing to show up on an athlete's radar, or an agency's shortlist, a few things matter more here than they do for a typical renter.
Respond fast. Agents and agencies often work on tight windows. Jordan Meltzer, co-founder of Clubbie, told us plainly: being responsive can make or break a deal when athletes are working on a deadline. A 4-24 hour reply window is optimal.
Make the listing do the work. Clear photos, current pricing, and an accurate description of the kitchen and living space go further with this tenant than they do elsewhere, because those are the exact things athletes are trying to solve for.
Build in flexibility. A standard 30-day notice period and a clear early termination clause protect you and the tenant, and they're often the deciding factor for someone whose season could change on short notice.
Know the calendar. Phoenix and Scottsdale fill up for spring training. Florida towns like Tampa, Clearwater, and Jupiter do the same. Midwest cities with MLB, NFL, or NHL franchises see seasonal waves too. If your property sits in one of the many sports-centric markets, timing your listing to the season matters.
Your listing is the first impression an agency sees, so make sure it's the one you'd want them to find. You can edit your listing anytime by logging into your dashboard (opens in new tab).
General tips for hosting well
Once an athlete is in your property, the same things that make any tenant relationship work still apply:
Solve problems fast. A broken appliance or a maintenance issue handled within 48 hours, sometimes with a small gesture of goodwill, turns a bad moment into a reason someone recommends you to a teammate.
Communicate like a person, not a landlord. Jordan Meltzer of Clubbie shared one example of this human-first approach: a retired firefighter hosted a Cincinnati Reds pitcher and his family during spring training. Partway through the stay, Meltzer got a photo of the athlete's baby girl and her mom riding a fire truck at the landlord's old station. It's the kind of small thing that costs nothing and travels fast through a locker room.
Play the long game. Athletes talk to each other. A good stay with one player on a roster can turn into inquiries from three more the following season.
For the fuller investment picture on this tenant segment, including market data and more from our conversation with Clubbie, check out Athletes Are Flocking to Monthly Rentals, Landlords Be Ready (opens in new tab).