Birmingham’s Landing launches new program to transform vacant apartments

Birmingham-based Landing is rolling out a fresh initiative designed to help apartment operators turn empty units into revenue-generating, furnished rentals. The new program, titled Occupancy on Demand, grants property managers direct access to the company’s flexible-stay platform via a streamlined self-service portal.

Streamlining Vacant Units

The process is built for efficiency: operators can secure an underwritten offer in roughly one minute and potentially activate vacant units in as little as 30 days. According to the company, Landing manages the entire lifecycle of the rental—including furnishing, listing, guest management, and unit turnover—at no upfront capital cost to the operator.

Landing co-founder Marcus Higgins noted the practical value for property owners, stating that even well-managed properties can struggle with vacancies. "As an owner myself, being able to turn occupancy on when I need it and off when I don’t changes how I think about each lease-up season," Higgins explained.

How It Works

To get started, property managers simply provide a property address, the specific number of units they wish to fill, and current rental rates. Once an installation date is confirmed and the offer is signed, Landing takes over the logistics. The platform allows for flexibility, meaning there is no long-term commitment. Operators can add or remove units from the flexible-stay inventory as market conditions dictate, while retaining full control of their property and receiving detailed resident verification reports for every guest.

About Landing

Landing was founded in 2019 by Bill Smith, the entrepreneur behind the Birmingham-born tech success story Shipt. Smith launched the company with $15 million of his own capital. Since then, the firm has built a national network of furnished apartments, famously moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Birmingham in 2021. As the rental market continues to evolve, with U.S. rental stock projected to surpass 50 million units by 2027, this new 205focus.com report highlights how Landing is positioning itself to support local and national operators alike.