Quote: (03-23-2015 10:09 AM)puckerman Wrote:
I could get a bigger apartment just by myself for this. I wonder what they would make in Austin.
Austin is a super hot market for short term rentals. You've got F1, ACL, SXSW, UT football, UT graduation... you basically have a lot of big events that draw short term renters to the city.
Your rate would be highly dependent on location. If you can provide a private room that puts you close to the action on 6th or SoCo, I'd throw out $100/night as a ballpark rate. Rates are seasonal too, rental rates can go up 2-3x normal and book out a year in advance for big things like SXSW. Depends what you want though - if you want to attract young chicks, price it lower. You always have the option to turn down renters, so you can just hold out for the hot chicks. It really depends if you want the money or the chicks.
Bear in mind, I don't have 1st hand experience renting, but my thoughts are:
1) Location is key. You want to have a location that'll appeal to the girls who are out to have fun.
2) Price accordingly. Young chicks I'm guessing would not have deep pockets. But you don't want to go crazy cheap. Just do some searches on AirBnb for properties near yours and see how they price them, and use that as your guide.
3) Your profile will be a big deal. Your face shows up right next to the rental and your profile is a prominent part. Treat it like a combination of a dating profile and a LinkedIn profile. AirBnb used to send a pro photographer to shoot the photos of the rental, they may still do that. If they do, you may be able to work a side deal for a couple good headshots with the photog, or just go hire one on your own. Even if you're in it just for the money, take the photos and profile text seriously.
4) Don't use this as a crutch for bad game. At best, your bad reviews will catch up to you. At worst... well, we all know how girls punish bad game. Throw money in the mix and it'll get toxic.
Quote: (03-23-2015 12:10 PM)Clint Barton Wrote:
There are a few ways to go off the books. Airbnb blocks emails addresses and phone numbers during the the inquiry phase, before an actual booking takes place.
Or you can just tell em to book the first night and "discuss" the rest after. That way you get a review out of it.
I like the idea of booking one night and then keeping the calendar open. That gives you a lot of wiggle room on rates. However, consider not just AirBnb but the local authorities. If the city finds out you're renting under the table, they'll fuck you up good. Austin is better than many other cities. They at least tolerate the short term rentals. Some places like San Fran and NYC are actively hostile. But even the friendlier cities want their cut - they want to collect the hotel taxes, basically. I think as long as no additional money changes hands, you'll be OK. But I'm not a lawyer, so just bear in mind that the city figures in too.