FAQ

The questions coordinators ask us first.

Short, honest answers. If yours isn't here, email placements@siftlodge.com — we answer same day.

The service

What SiftLodge does

How are you faster than our own team?

Depth of coverage. Most searches stop at the first page of the big listing sites and a handful of unreturned calls. We work listed and off-market inventory side by side, pre-screen for the criteria that usually kill a deal — pets, occupancy, dates, budget — and only pick up the phone for homes that already fit. Less time dialing dead ends, more time confirming real options.

Are the options really verified, or just listings?

Verified. Every option we send has been confirmed with the landlord by phone: still available, real price, pets and house rules workable, terms agreeable. If it's in your inbox, it's real and it's ready to sign.

Can you handle pets, big families, rural areas?

That's most of what we do. Three dogs, seven occupants, a ZIP an hour from the nearest city — those are the files that get stuck, and exactly where a deeper search wins. Tell us the hard constraints up front and we filter for them from the first minute.

Pricing & terms

What it costs

What does it cost to try you?

Nothing. We charge a flat success fee, due only when a lease is signed on a property we sourced. If our options don't beat what you already have, you owe nothing. Volume partners get preferred per-placement pricing under a simple Master Service Agreement.

Is there a contract or minimum volume?

No. You can send a single file with no agreement in place. A Master Service Agreement only comes later, if and when you want volume pricing — it's an upgrade, never a barrier to starting.

How and when are you invoiced?

Only after a lease is signed. One clean invoice per placement, structured to fit how insurance, staffing or corporate teams already pay.

The process

How placements work

How fast will I get options?

It depends on the file type. Insurance and ALE files get first vetted options the same business day. Medical and travel-nurse files, within 24 hours. Planned corporate relocations, within 48 hours. Harder files — rural markets, multiple pets, tight budgets — can run to the far end of the window because we're calling more landlords, not because we've stopped.

Who signs the lease?

Whatever your process requires — directly between your client and the landlord, through your agency, or structured for corporate signature. We prepare the landlord for the arrangement before you ever see the option, so there are no surprises at signature.

Furnished or unfurnished?

Both. Insurance and medical files usually need furnished, move-in-ready homes; corporate files often prefer unfurnished for longer stays. Tell us which — or say "either" and we'll present both where the economics make sense.

What if repairs or the assignment run long?

We pre-negotiate extension options wherever we can, so a 3-month placement can become 5 without starting the search over. Flag "open-ended" on the file and we prioritize landlords who are flexible on term.

Does my client know they're working with a third party?

Only if you want them to. We work entirely white-label, behind your brand. Options reach you, in your voice; your client experiences a fast, thorough agency — yours.

Coverage & property

Where and what

Which areas do you cover?

All 50 states, urban and rural. Coverage doesn't depend on us having local agents — it depends on search depth and landlord outreach, which work the same everywhere. A hard-to-place ZIP is a normal file for us, not an exception. More on coverage →

Houses or apartments?

Both, matched to the file. Single-family homes for displaced families who lost a house; apartments and condos where that fits the assignment or budget. We match the standard of living, not just a price point.

Can you absorb a CAT event or hiring surge?

Yes — that's a core use case. When a storm or wildfire displaces hundreds of families at once, or a staffing partner spikes, hand us the overflow instead of hiring. We flex with your volume.

Still have a question?

Email us, or just send the file — the fastest way to see how we work is to watch us work one.

Submit a housing file