Did you know that there are people making as much as $10,000 a month by renting their homes on AirBnb? (Source). That’s impressive, isn’t it? And to think you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to build such passive income. So, if you have a home you would like to rent out using this popular service, keep reading.
Can you make passive income renting your home on AirBnB? You absolutely can make passive income renting on AirBnB. This service has become very popular among travellers preferring to enjoy a homestay environment instead of hotels while touring various places around the world. Passive income can be made through AirBnB by automating and outsourcing the rental process.
Estimates show that about half of those who rent their properties on AirBnb make at least $500 a month. Calculate your AirBnB monthly potential revenue on AirBnB here! We based $2,5000 on an entire place for four guests in Boston. You can earn this income passively, and without having to invest any money into the project. If you are not careful however, this can be a very active endeavour. Learn how you can make passive income from AirBnB in our guide for beginners below.
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What are Some Benefits of Using AirBnB?
AirBnB is a similar concept to other peer-to-peer marketplaces, but instead of selling your crafts or household items online, you place your couch, your room, or your home up for rent. With skyrocketing hotel costs in major cities around the world, it’s been no surprise that Airbnb has become one of the first websites people visit before booking a trip.
While the platform has been around for some years now, it has only been recently that Airbnb has truly become fierce competition for local hotels and motels. AirBnB provides hosts with insurance coverage, support, international exposure to an audience of travellers, screened guests and reviews to ensure that everyone gets the most out of their experience.
Passive Income Renting Your Home on AirBnB
AirBnb lets you rent your property to guests, you pay for the service through a small commission. You can make pretty good money off your house or room by renting it out on AirBnB, and here is how you can do it passively.
1. Getting Ready to Rent on AirBnB
The home or apartment you rent out has to be fit for any guests that wish to stay there. Besides having basic amenities like water and electricity, it should offer well-furnished, clean rooms. Basic necessities should be readily available to guests, including the following: easy to access parking, internet, bedding (comfortable linens, pillows, etc), washer, dryer, air conditioning, essentials (towels, soap, and toilet paper).
Make sure to take professional-looking photos of your place. If you are having a hard time taking photos yourself, it is worth contacting AirBnB to request they come take professional photos, or to hire a professional to do so. Photos are the main selling point of an AirBnB listing. As you prepare your home, also inform your neighbours that guests will be coming and going. Finally, it is important to clean your home and ensure that it is free from useless clutter.
2. Understanding Your Target Market
Every home is different, and each one will attract different types of renters. A small remote cabin will not attract the same clients as a luxury home close to a major city. With this in mind, make sure that the home you wish to rent out will appeal to the kind of renters you are targeting. Some renters might require a lot more accessories than others, and this is something you should know after doing some research on the types of clients your property can attract. Have a look at similar listings in your area and read the reviews left by their customers to learn more.
3. Posting Your Listing
Once you are ready to post your AirBnB listing, sign up with the platform! AirBnB’s site is very user friendly and easy to use. You will have to provide personal details such as your contact information, a description of your home, and some clear photos of the place you are offering renters. When writing your description, you can add house rules and your renters will have to abide by when residing in your home. For instance, you can limit the number of people who can stay there, and set your cancellation terms.
Become An AirBnB Host
Fortunately, in case you have no clue how to set a price for your home as you list it on AirBnB, you can use the platform’s automated tool to compare prices and come up with an appropriate price for your home. If you activate this option, AirBnB will automatically set the nightly stay for your home taking into consideration that prices vary throughout the week vs weekend.
4. Screening Your Guests
Unfortunately, not all guests make renting your home through AirBnB worthwhile. Some people might rent intending to host parties or other social events at your home that might get you into problems with neighbors or even authorities. This is why it’s always worth screening guests before they book your listing. Always look at their previous feedback or contact the renter before they book to decide if you would like to accept their rental request.
AirBnB Tips
There are many platforms offering peer-to-peer rentals, however, AirBnB is by far the most popular in the short-term rental space. Here are some tips to consider before renting on AirBnB.
You should ensure that you promote your home properly by listing all the basics it offers beyond what a guest might expect in a typical home. Surprise your guests with small touches that make the stay all the more fun. Adding things like board games, a bottle of wine, chocolates, a welcome pack or a special gift from your area makes people want to come back and can easily help promote your listing with excellent feedback. Photos can also make or break your listing. The pictures you post of your home should be high quality and clear, and taken after staging and cleaning your home properly.
Take note that AirBnB will take 3% commission on all bookings from the host (you), and also that they will take between 6% and 12% from what the guest pays. Also, take time to understand what local tax laws have to say about your renting your home. AirBnB is all over the world, and in each jurisdiction, there are laws that govern how you should square things out with the tax authorities when you rent your property. Make sure to consult your local tax specialist for more information.
How Passive is Renting on AirBnB?
Renting properties is one of the most passive things you can do to make money. However, depending on how you setup your listing, renting on AirBnB can either be extremely passive or extremely active. If you want this endeavour to be as passive as possible, here are some things you can do:
- Put a keypad / self-locking system on the door: If you are renting out an entire space and would like to make the check-in and checkout process as easy as possible, us a self-locking system where your guests receive a code by email from you. They will be able to check-in and checkout on their own making the process extremely passive for you.
- Hire a cleaner: Once the guests checkout, have a cleaner come in and clean the property. They should also change the bedding and ensure everything was left in perfect shape. Have them report to you or your assistant if anything is missing, broken or needs to be reported.
- Hire an assistant: If you would like the process to be as outsourced as possible, you can take yourself out of the equation entirely by hiring an assistant. Provide them a cut of the listing to have them deal with screening potential renters, answering questions from guests and resolving other issues they may face. They can replace you in keeping the listing up to date and providing feedback to renters after their stay.
Following this kind of process, renting your home on AirBnB will be extremely passive. Considering how much money you can make off this business, this is one of the best ways to create an extra income stream. However, if you take on all of the responsibilities mentioned above, this can become a full time job.
Scalability
For most people, renting through AirBnB is not very scalable, as most people have a single home to rent. But if you have more homes you can rent, then you can scale your business considerably. However, a single home in a prime location can make you a lot of money, and you can scale this business by increasing the number of days you rent out your home. Learn more about your monthly potential income for AirBnB in your area in this tool on AirBnB’s site.
Startup Costs
This is one of the cheapest businesses to get into because you do not need to make an upfront investment to get started. As long as you have an extra room or two, you are good to go. You only need to put your listing online so renters can find you. Of course, if you want to improve your home or upscale your listing, you can invest money but that is not mandatory if you already have comfortable and clean space. You will pay an AirBnB host fee on your rentals.
Difficulty
Renting your home on AirBnB extremely easy. As long as you have a home, and are willing to list it on the site, you are good to go. With the simple guidelines above, you should have no problem successfully listing your home and making passive income from it.
Scalability
For most people, renting through AirBnB is not very scalable, as most people have a single home to rent. But if you have more homes you can rent, then you can scale your business considerably. However, a single home in a prime location can make you a lot of money, and you can scale this business by increasing the number of days you rent out your home. Learn more about your monthly potential income for AirBnB in your area in this tool on AirBnB’s site.
Time
The most time demanding task is initially creating your listing and taking high quality photos. However, once your listing is setup, actually renting your home will not take a lot of your time if you outsource the work. Most of the ongoing work consists in cleaning, washing, communicating with renters and interested guests. This can be outsourced to an assistant and cleaner, and check-in and checkout can be automated with a padlock.
Risk
There are some risks to renting your home through the AirBnB service, especially because you have no control over the renters. You could end up giving up your listing to untrustworthy people. But this is a risk you can minimize by tightening the criteria you use to pick your renters and making sure to screen people before accepting their requests.
Seasonality
To some extent renting through AirBnB is seasonal depending on where you live. For instance, if you live in a place where there are a lot of visitors all year round, then you can expect that your business will not be affected by the seasons. However, if you are in a place that gets a surge of visitors at certain times of the year, then some degree of seasonality is to be expected.
Return on Investment
Making money by renting your home on AirBnB can provide excellent ROI. That’s because you do not have to spend much to list your home on the platform, and the basics you need to provide for your guests should not cost you much either. In short, this passive business will give you excellent ROI.
Related Questions
Can you rent a room on AirBnB ? Yes, you can rent a house or a room through AirBnB. You can also rent a couch, cottage, camper, RV, camp-site or less conventional spaces such as a tree-house, boat-house, yurt, tiny home, Earth House, island, castle, cave, windmill, igloo or other.
What extras should you provide as an AirBnB host? Your home is supposed to offer basic necessities a comfortable stay. However, hosts that go above and beyond get the best feedback and the most bookings. You should provide essentials, such as clean sheets, towels, toilet paper, and soap. Superhosts offer special extras like a welcome pack, chocolate and wine to provide the best experience.