Renting your property as an AirBnB?

HardDrive · 10-17-2025, 08:47 AM

We have a small house in Seattle that we have been renting out for the past 10 years successfully. We live out of state, we have used property managers. We are shutting down an apartment in upstate NY we have been using for work, and had the notion to take all the furnishings and outfit the Seattle house, and turn it into an Airbnb. I have read plenty of horror stories. We have a line on a great management company that specializes in ABB management. We also have a ton of local friends here as well. Anyone had long term success with ABB? Only reason for the switch is that we would then have a base in Seattle. I’m typing this in someone else’s ABB a mile from my property in Seattle!

jhynesrockmtn · 10-17-2025, 09:33 AM

I think it's worth a try, but have no personal experience with it. I will say one of my biggest regrets is selling all of my Seattle real estate when I moved to Spokane. I'd love to have a place to stay when I go visit my daughter and her family. My Mom has offered to sell me a condo she owns in Kenmore, but it is just too pricey now to justify purchasing it. If could ABB it then it might make financial sense. Unfortunately, the building prohibits that type of rental.

Tidybuoy · 10-17-2025, 09:34 AM

Consider looking at Furnished Finders dot com. My neighbor uses this service, and it is cheaper than Airbnb as they have an annual fee and don't take a percentage of the daily/monthly rent.

I am preparing a property to be a simi-short term rental. That is, I'm planning to rent to traveling nurses. I have a neighbor who has been very successful with nurses as they generally have a 12–13-week contract. They tend to be neater as they are professional, educated people. They work 14hr shifts so not much time to host big parties. They tend to pay higher rents as the hospitals pay for part of the rent. My neighbor rents to multiple nurses at the same time as it is a 3-bedroom house (same as mine). She's never had a problem, and it's been rented for years.

I don't have actual experience, but I am preparing to be renting by January 2026.

jhynesrockmtn · 10-17-2025, 09:36 AM

I have a friend who uses furnish finders. So far, so good. But, it is a self management situation so very hands on. He lives within walking distance so it works well for him. Managing it from a distance may not.

dad911 · 10-17-2025, 09:43 AM

There were a few mcmansions around here doing that. Neighbors complained, noisy parties, etc. It was against zoning, so they were shut down.

Also can't do it in florida w/o a transient license. No short term rentals. Plus the town/county get their cut with every tennant change. https://www.igms.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-florida-short-term-rentals-law/

tldr; check local laws.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Renting to hot nurses sounds way better. Renting to not-hot nurses sounds way better. Renting to any nurses sounds way better. That may not give you the "base in Seattle" since the nurses will be in there for months at a time. But unless you go to Seattle a lot, using someone else's AirBnB, while you enjoy consistent party-free tenancy on your own house, seems fine to me.

Seahawk · 10-17-2025, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

But unless you go to Seattle a lot, using someone else's AirBnB, while you enjoy consistent party-free tenancy on your own house, seems fine to me.

That is my approach.

Our house in South Carolina is in the historic district of a really neat town...near the Masters Tournament and many other roadside attractions.

We get asked all the time about renting.

Here is my take:

I would not want to live next to an active, well trafficked, ABNB...I know people that do and they lament the existence of ABNB.

The first three years we owned the house we rented it to a lady who was an excellent tenant, very aware and observant. We communicated well in advance that we would be spending over half the year in SC and thank you.

We now rent the property twice a year to corporate clients for both the Masters and another event...the money is stupid, there are no issues with short term rentals but we want to make sure we don't abuse the place...it would be an apex ABNB but I don't care.