Hello - I'd like to run an idea past the landlords on this forum (before I start approaching landlords in the real world) to see what you think, see what the potential objections might be, etc. It involves airbnb, a website that I assume needs no explanation.
I'll soon be returning to the UK and looking for a place to rent in London. Rather than be someone's lodger or flatmate, or living way out in the suburbs on my own, I'd like to set up an arrangement like what a friend of mine does with a flat he rents in central London. He rents a 2-bed flat (that he uses as a 3-bed with no living room) and rents out his two spare bedrooms to airbnb tourists.
With the money he gets from this, he not only covers all of the rent, but makes a tidy little profit each month for his trouble. It helps that his career involves mostly working from home, so he can be around at most hours of the day to greet guests, clean afterwards, etc. I should stress that he also lives in the flat at all times; he never gives his airbnb guests the whole flat to themselves.
As far as I can see, and from what he tells me, he's got a great arrangement. Rent covered for a central London flat, a bit of a profit, he doesn't have to share the flat with any tiresome flatmates, and all of the tourists have been really nice, trouble-free people. He's been living in his current place for over 5 years. From his landlord's perspective, he's the perfect tenant: he takes very good care of the flat (after all, it's in my friend's interest to do so, since it ensures he gets good reviews as a host on aribnb) and he agrees to every annual rent increase (because it is easy to just pass it on to the tourists in the form of slightly higher charges).
I want this same arrangement for myself when I return ie. to be a live-in airbnb host in a rented flat. However, being the honest type, I'd like to approach the landlords with this idea openly. So my question is: if a presentable tenant with good references were to approach you with such an idea, what would your response be? What, if anything, would worry you? What could the prospective tenant do to address your concerns? Or would you just reject it out of hand? If so, why?
I'd really appreciate your considered responses.
(I'll just say now before we begin, if your rejection of the idea is ideological ie. 'Homes are meant for living in, not extracting profit!' then please don't waste your time. You're landlords after all. You of all people should see housing as an business proposition! I didn't create the housing nightmare that is contemporary London, I'm just trying to survive and thrive in it with a bit of style :-) )
Thanks in advance.
I'll soon be returning to the UK and looking for a place to rent in London. Rather than be someone's lodger or flatmate, or living way out in the suburbs on my own, I'd like to set up an arrangement like what a friend of mine does with a flat he rents in central London. He rents a 2-bed flat (that he uses as a 3-bed with no living room) and rents out his two spare bedrooms to airbnb tourists.
With the money he gets from this, he not only covers all of the rent, but makes a tidy little profit each month for his trouble. It helps that his career involves mostly working from home, so he can be around at most hours of the day to greet guests, clean afterwards, etc. I should stress that he also lives in the flat at all times; he never gives his airbnb guests the whole flat to themselves.
As far as I can see, and from what he tells me, he's got a great arrangement. Rent covered for a central London flat, a bit of a profit, he doesn't have to share the flat with any tiresome flatmates, and all of the tourists have been really nice, trouble-free people. He's been living in his current place for over 5 years. From his landlord's perspective, he's the perfect tenant: he takes very good care of the flat (after all, it's in my friend's interest to do so, since it ensures he gets good reviews as a host on aribnb) and he agrees to every annual rent increase (because it is easy to just pass it on to the tourists in the form of slightly higher charges).
I want this same arrangement for myself when I return ie. to be a live-in airbnb host in a rented flat. However, being the honest type, I'd like to approach the landlords with this idea openly. So my question is: if a presentable tenant with good references were to approach you with such an idea, what would your response be? What, if anything, would worry you? What could the prospective tenant do to address your concerns? Or would you just reject it out of hand? If so, why?
I'd really appreciate your considered responses.
(I'll just say now before we begin, if your rejection of the idea is ideological ie. 'Homes are meant for living in, not extracting profit!' then please don't waste your time. You're landlords after all. You of all people should see housing as an business proposition! I didn't create the housing nightmare that is contemporary London, I'm just trying to survive and thrive in it with a bit of style :-) )
Thanks in advance.