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Does anybody rent out their house on air bnb?

13 replies

Reallytired17 · 04/01/2018 18:36

Just wondered ... how lucrative is it? Or is it a bit of a pain? How much does it cost to be a host?

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Advice79 · 04/01/2018 18:40

Hi I did it for a while whilst me and hubby were saving for our wedding. Did it for 3 months had one guy paid £20 a night he was a contractor and went to work came home and then stayed in his room- he got takeaway every night- used the kit hen to make an occasional cup of tea

Advice79 · 04/01/2018 18:41

I think it's free to host

Namethecat · 04/01/2018 18:42

My friends next door neighbour has 2 bed terrace she rents out for £75 per night( area of outstanding beauty )

Cakefortea1 · 04/01/2018 18:44

I do. I’ve been doing it for 6 months and have done really well. You get charged a very minimal fee per booking.

Can’t really say how lucrative it will be for you as depends on the room on offer & your location.

I live 10 mins from an airport & 20 mins from a very tourist orientated city.

I’ve had really lovely people staying except one very strange couple.

Reallytired17 · 04/01/2018 18:47

I have a flat I cannot sell (long story.)

I don’t live in it. But wondered about renting it on Air BnB. It’s in a good area for tourists.

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BritInUS1 · 04/01/2018 18:49

Things to consider

  1. Insurance
  2. Cleaning - will you do it or will you need to pay someone
  3. Mortgage company - you need to let them know
  4. Tax implications

Why not just rent it out on a short term tenancy agreement?

Reallytired17 · 04/01/2018 18:53

Would insurance be a special one for this (sorry, so ignorant!)

I can clean it.

There’s no mortgage.

I can’t rent it out as I have stuff in it!

OP posts:
Cakefortea1 · 04/01/2018 19:28

You are insured through Airbnb and regular Home insurance.

Reallytired17 · 04/01/2018 19:30

Thanks! Does it being a flat make a difference, does anyone know - in a building?

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BritInUS1 · 04/01/2018 22:54

Are there any restrictions in your lease about this?

willisurvive3under2 · 04/01/2018 23:12

It's working well for us. It's my small 2 up 2 down terraced house which we don't want to sell just yet (I moved in with DH a little while after I met him). Mortgage company has been told and they charge me extra. We make some money after expenses - how much we make depends on what kind of month we have. You'll have to invest in a few basics - nice bed linen etc. and also find someone trustworthy who can help you turn the place around if you're away/unavailable. Any questions please ask.

MortgageTips · 05/01/2018 16:10

I know a lot of Buy To Let landlords that have/are changing to Air BnB in place of normal let/tenancy as the Tax is more advantageous/less penalising.

There are a couple of mortgage Lenders, Metro Bank & Market Harborough Building Society that are fine with a new or remortgage to allow Air BnB.

Needmoresleep · 05/01/2018 16:51

It is not uncommon for leases have restrictions, not allowing lets of less than 6 months. And a few local authorities are very hot on people who don't keep to the letter of the law. Here is a cut and paste from the Westminster website:

"A short-term let (STL) is the occupation of a property by the same person(s) for less than 90 consecutive nights.

Before the Deregulation Act 2015 came into force, planning permission was needed for every short-term let of a property.

However, the Deregulation Act 2015 amended the legislation and the short-term letting of a residential house or flat is now permitted, subject to 2 conditions:

  • the total number of nights that a property is used for short term letting in a calendar year (1 January to 31 December) must not exceed 90
  • at least one of the persons providing the accommodation for short term letting is liable to pay Council Tax at the property where the accommodation is provided

To use your property for short-term letting, you must comply with these conditions or you are likely to be subject to formal planning enforcement action."

I own a couple of flats where both the planning permission and lease allow for short term lets, but this is unusual. There is a lot of work involved as people expect hotel like standards with a full set of working equipment, so I use a holiday lettings agency. A couple of neighbours are unhappy (oddly tenants rather than owners, in my experience every block of flats has its Victor Meldrew) but there is little they can do, and I am satisfied that the tenants I attract, mainly young families wanting a beach holiday, do not cause problems. However the agency are good at screening out stags, hens, or teenagers wanting to hold a party. One bad weekend would cost a lot of money and give neighbours real cause to complain.

As well as council tax don't forget to factor in the cost of utilities and wifi. I use a firm called Insurance for Holiday Homes.

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