Corporate housing, serviced apartments or a lease: which suits your Manila assignee?
Corporate housing, serviced apartments or a lease: which suits your Manila assignee?
Moving someone to Manila for work leaves you with four housing routes: corporate residences, serviced apartments, a long-term lease or short stays. Each suits a different length of stay and a different amount of admin. This guide sets them side by side, so HR teams and assignees can pick the right one quickly.
The short answer
- Staying 6 months or more, and the company is paying? A corporate residence. One furnished home, one monthly invoice, one point of contact.
- Staying 6 months or more, and renting in your own name? A long-term lease.
- Staying a few nights or weeks? A short stay, or a serviced apartment if you want hotel-style daily service.
Side by side
| Corporate residence | Serviced apartment | Long-term lease | Short stay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical length | 6 months or more | Nights to months | Usually a year | Nights to weeks |
| Contract in whose name | The company | The guest or company | The tenant | The guest |
| Furnishing | Fitted out to the company’s brief | The operator’s standard | Furnished, semi-furnished or bare, by unit | Furnished |
| Utilities | Included, with an electricity allowance | Usually included | Paid by the tenant | Included |
| Cleaning | Weekly housekeeping | Usually daily | Arranged by the tenant | Between stays |
| Billing | One monthly invoice | Per stay or monthly | Monthly rent to the owner | Per booking |
Corporate residences
A corporate residence is a Grade A condo that is furnished to your brief and run for you. The company holds the agreement, so the assignee does not sign a lease, set up utilities or chase repairs. At StayHere, the rate covers furnishing, water, internet and cable, a monthly electricity allowance, weekly housekeeping, linen, supplies and repairs, on one invoice.
It suits assignments of 6 months or more, families who need two or three bedrooms, and companies that want one supplier and one bill for several people. Residences are ready 2 to 4 weeks after the company confirms. See how it works.
Serviced apartments
Serviced apartments are run like hotels: a front desk, frequent cleaning and amenities on site. They are convenient for the first weeks after arrival or for project stays. For longer assignments, the hotel-style service often costs more than a family needs, and the furnishing follows the operator’s standard rather than your brief.
Long-term leases
A lease puts the home in the tenant’s own name, usually for a year. In Metro Manila, owners commonly ask for one month’s rent in advance and two months as a deposit. The tenant pays utilities and arranges cleaning. It is the most independent option, and a good fit for people settling in Manila for the long run who are happy to manage the home themselves. Browse condos for rent.
Short stays
Short stays are furnished studios and apartments booked by the night. They work for business trips, house-hunting visits and the gap before a long-term home is ready. See short stays.
Where to live
Most assignees choose BGC, Makati or Ortigas, close to the main business districts. Commute time matters more than anything else in Manila traffic, so start with the office address and look at buildings within a short ride of it.
Next step
If you are housing someone for 6 months or more, send us your brief with their dates, household size, budget and preferred area. We will shortlist residences and confirm rates in writing. Not sure which route fits? Compare all four options.