A Richmond-based company that provides high-end temporary housing is growing by attracting legislators, filmmakers, business travelers and repeat customers.
Priority Corporate Housing offers leases as short as 30 days in homes, condos and apartments that are fully furnished — with nearly every fixing.
"All we've got to do is bring our clothes," said Del. Charles W. Carrico Sr., R-Grayson, who has rented a condo from the company for 10 years during General Assembly sessions. "It makes life so much simpler."
President Melissa M. Baker launched Priority Corporate Housing in 2001. She initially set out to offer 12 apartments in downtown Richmond. She now leases about 140 residences, including those in the Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and Hampton Roads areas.
Most of her clients are looking for temporary housing, whether they're traveling because of work, for example, or caught between permanent home arrangements. The average stay is about 90 days.
The company aims to make the temporary housing arrangements as home-like as possible, Baker said, and most are repeat customers.
The company boasts a wide variety of furnished apartments in the Richmond region with flexible leasing terms as well as an arrangement in which virtually the only thing tenants have to bring is a suitcase.
Everything from flat-screen televisions to corkscrews is included in the houses and condos, which cost $68 per day and up — Baker says monthly rents of $2,500 to $3,000 are fairly typical. And customer service specialists are made available to clients all day, seven days per week.
"If there's something like: 'My bed's too soft,' " Baker said. "I can fix that."
The company offers condos in downtown Richmond, for example, as well as western Henrico County, Petersburg, Hopewell and Chesterfield County. Many of the units are owned by individuals or companies and are furnished, managed and leased by Priority Corporate Housing.
Rita McClenny, director of the Virginia Film Office, which helped bring a movie directed by Steven Spielberg about Abraham Lincoln to the Richmond area, said that she frequently refers filmmakers to Priority Corporate Housing partially because of its "signature service."
"They provide exceptional attention to detail in meeting our client needs. I feel like they have signature service and a one-stop shop," McClenny said.
"One thing about production — the one constant thing — is change. And they're very flexible in meeting those demands. And they have a short turnaround time," McClenny said.
In addition to filmmakers, the largest group of clients of Priority Corporate Housing includes members of the General Assembly, which convenes on Wednesday, and U.S. military personnel.
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