AIBU to put my house on air b&b

[Chillychili]

Our house is in a state of repair, kitchen living room bathrooms and bedrooms all okay, but dining room has floor boards missing (hole in the floor), we had a leak which is now repaired but just waiting for it to dry out. There is a table in the kitchen; so you can eat in the house and we just keep the dining room door shut.

The house is a large detached 4 bedroom (can sleep 7 people) with parking in cornwall 15 mins drive away from the popular beaches. Within walking distance of the train.
We are going away on holiday for a week (just uk camping) but because of maternity leave money is tight. We were wondering if people would want to stay? Should be bother putting it on air b&b, we were thinking of putting it on for £300. Does that seem reasonable. Don’t want to be cheeky fuckers (we also have two cats that would need feeding).

I think we will give it a miss this year thanks everyone @lechatnoir that is what we are planning to do.

I'm worried about the 5ft drop and then. Surely not safe for them.

I'm worried about the 5ft drop and the cats. Surely not safe for them let alone visitors.

İs there a way you can lock off the dining room and make it inaccessible and still be able to access all the other rooms? İ would say go for it if you're able to super clean the place, find somewhere for your cats to stay and create wardrobe space. You could put all your stuff in the dining room in a water tight container. But not with the cats there. Maybe for ten pounds a night with the cats but not at full price. İf you wanted to do trips and air BnB regularly then i would say go for it as a practise run and then charge more when the dining room is fixed. I don't know how much the insurance is but if a couple of hundred pounds extra income would make a big difference to you, then why not? The people saying it's not worth it might be in a position to earn better money from something else.

Also the reason why it might be successful is that people coming here from other countries or already in the country travelling, might not have the same standards as a British traveller, because they just want to see the sights rather than have a luxury break.

I actually thought you were joking.

@Peppapigforlife why would people from other countries have lower standards than British people?? I don’t want to stay in someone’s family home with all its flaws (can do that at home for free 😆 ) and mind a cat, thanks very much.

We use Airbnb multiple times a year and are in one at the mo, the first one which has the owner’s stuff all over the place - kids rooms not even shut off and chained up wardrobes. Super weird! I couldn’t be arsed as the host.

@Anoisagusaris because they're more likely to be backpackers, unlikely to spend much time in the home other than sleeping and are looking for an experience, not there for the decor. I've backpacked in other countries before and when I've used air BnB on my travels I'm not bothered about not being able to use a dining room, other people's stuff or having pets around, I just want to see the area or put my head down for a night after weeks of camping or sleeping in a car or whatever and use the oven for a hot meal. However, if I was just taking a break in the UK, as a British person, then yes I would want to stay somewhere lovely and read books and enjoy the home. So my point is everyone has different needs and there may well be a traveller out there with the need of just somewhere to crash and see Cornwall, or be going to a festival or something and just need a bed.

YANBU to consider it but it needs to be spotless and you'd need to lock the dining room door to make sure nobody went in.
Are your cats well behaved and clean? I have airbnbed my house with my cat and it's usually fine but occasionally he would bring in a dead thing which the guests would see before the cat feeder could get there and clear it up. He also bit one guest as they ignored my advice not to pet him
It's worth it if you need the money but if you don't, it's not IYSWIM

@Sleepinghyena

You would trust complete strangers with your house, possessions and pets??

It's pretty safe through Airbnb, you can let to people with 5* ratings only, you get insurance cover through Airbnb and you can also ask for a deposit. Of course nobody would do it if they didn't need the money but if you do, it's fine. Don't shame people for needing to make extra money, there is no need.

You need the proper insurance if you rent out your place as an air bnb. Otherwise you’re personally liable if they have an accident. If someone falls down the hole, breaks their leg and can never work again, you might loose the house having to pay out their injury claim. There was a well known Brighton case with injured air bnb guests.

@CloseYourEyesAndSee hear hear!! OP you have nothing to lose, other than a bit of time cleaning, locking up your dining room, getting insurance and making an advertisement. İt costs nothing to try!

I wouldn't rent out my house on air bnb with all the stuff in it and two cats. Renting out a house you normally live in can work but it needs it be very minimal and not full of your stuff.

We stayed in one where the owner lived there but worked away a lot, so although the kitchen was fully equipped, he had all his clothes/personal belongings locked in one room when his house was rented out.