The same is true in the US. "On international assignments, which might be from 18 months to two years, a lot of people are saying they are willing to do it but it has to work for me and my family," says corporate housing consultant Elaine Quiroz. "Fifteen years ago, it would not have been acceptable to say that. It is no longer just about budget or length of stay but the soft issues." As a result, many companies provide a mentor for employees relocating to a new city. This support on the ground is as important as any health & safety standards at the apartments themselves.

Quiroz says that government, military and large corporate bids in the US often ask for buildings with sprinklers and other fire precautions. "I have also seen RFPs ask providers to detail their emergency communications/operations plan in case of a sudden emergency such as a natural disaster, terrorist threat or shut-down of computer or communications systems," she says.

This reflects the introduction of such criteria into more traditional hotel programme RFPs over the last few years. Although RFPs are a well established procurement tool in that the transient sector, they are only just starting to be used for serviced apartments in companies' relocation and mobility programmes.

Security at the corporate housing end of the serviced apartment sector is much the same as security in people's home but unlike a hotel, in the US and the UK, guests are generally supplied with a mobile or pager number for 24-hour support rather than full-time reception in the building. And regarding tracking individuals' whereabouts: The apartment provider, and the agent, will be the only ones who know where a guest is staying, ensuring that the corporate can find their people quickly in the event of an emergency without compromising their privacy.

"In the UK, corporate manslaughter legislation can mean criminal prosecution by the police and the victim can receive unlimited damages. "This drives the health and safety aspects of how we look after people," says Malcolm Broadbent, general manager of Hyde Park Gate, a Cheval Group property." Everything fromCorgi gas safety certificates and electrical standards to fire precautions and water standards is rigorously and regularly monitored and recorded. Even getting in contractors involves a field risk assessment. "Everything has to be approved by the group maintenance manager before we even proceed with it," he says.