I own a flat in central Birmingham that is used for exactly this purpose. The longest let is usually 3 months and I've found that its never been empty for more than 3 weeks. I've also found that you can charge a little higher in terms of rent due to the circumstances, and this extra can cover the extra cleaning required between tenants. I have also found that wear and tear seems to be reduced - I think because the tenants see it more as a rental and so look after it more, rather than "home" (as it were). Another part of the market to check out is the corporate registers. Not all corporates are after 6 bed houses in Chelsea for their staff! I should highlight though that I do use a management agent, and that they look after running the logistics of it. I have found the fees are more than covered in the turnover of the place, and it removes 95% of the hassle.