Anyone Rent Out An Air BnB?

jyl · jyl's Garage

Do you have experience renting to Air BnB users?. Especially, renting in-law units or whole houses / apartments, i.e. something other than a bedroom in your house?

This is logically related to my ADU thread. I've got some wheels in motion to figure out the feasibility and cost of building an ADU, now I'm trying to figure out the revenue side. I can figure out what monthly rental rates are doing in my area, and the pitfalls and hassles of renting, but I don't know much about the other option which is Air BnB'ing it. Comparable nightly rates I can look up, but stuff like occupancy rates, costs, fees, expectations (how about clean, but no mint on the pillow and no fruit basket?), time and effort involved, taxes, deductions, etc is what I'm trying to learn about.

After all, until my dad moves in, I might as well do something with any ADU.

Hugh R · 06:30 PM

My daughter rents out her big house in the Pocono's in Eastern PA when she isn't there, and her apartment in Hoboken, NJ when she's at the PA house. I think she rents of the big house for $5K/week, and the apartment for $200/night. She is very happy about the arrangements. Won't rent to anyone other than families. I think she does well enough that it pays her mortgage and rent on the two places.

creaturecat · 09-26-2015, 06:34 PM

good way to end up with bed bugs. : )

Hugh R · 09-26-2015, 06:48 PM

Maybe, but at $5K/week she isn't renting to many indigents.

tevake · 09-26-2015, 07:10 PM

We used VRBO. To list a vacation rental in Kauai. And had imediate response and are booking solidly with them.
Good pics and discription . Then positive guest feed back . Really help.

I would think the garage upstairs unit would be best for this use vs the basement unit you are also considering.

The vacation rental has been very successful for us.
We paid a primium the first year for high visability for our listing. Now don't have to.

Cheers Richard

jyl · jyl's Garage

The biggest unknown, it seems to me, is occupancy rate.

I've been looking through various Airbnb listings in Portland and their occupancy rate for the coming month (October) looks around 25-30%. That is just judging by the "not available" dates grayed out on the calendars. After October, the occupancy rate is lower, but perhaps most Airbnb reservations are made on shorter notice.

Now, it would seem to me that Portland should be a very seasonal destination. Why would many people want to visit during the PacNW winter?. But I can't find any way to see what these calendars looked like for spring or summer.

This report claims Airbnb occupancy rate in Portland is 90% in the summer and 40-45% the rest of the year. Portland, Oregon Airbnb Rental Property Data and Pricing Analytics - Airdna Not sure how much I trust that data.

911_Dude · 09-27-2015, 05:10 AM

Ive got a friend that has been ABnBing for a few years. She has a large 3 storey house and rents out a bedroom and the third floor. At first she got a lot of business from musicians that would come to town to play at the orchestra for a few weeks. Then she got two occupants that are long term that are some sort of traveling nurses. They are only there on weekends but pay for full occupancy. She loves it. There are some hassles, of course.