This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I think I consider myself a nice and thoughtful person overall and I will call AirBnB up Monday and ask them directly the situation to see what they say. I like all the scenarios you pointed out as I didn’t think of some of them. Thinking too much gives me gray hairs instantaneously these days.
Your female boss sounds like a lovely person to wake up to every morning and I can see why you have a little PTSD from windowless rooms.
One of my favorite quotes of all time, but to put the shoe on the other foot, I would not mind renting a room with no windows for a few days if the price was right and the rest of the place looked decent (not a fire hazard). This is a new renovation on the first floor so if any consolation, nobody would have to jump on the window, they’d just walk out the rooms out the window or door that leads to the street.
The legality is what I’m looking for as I’ve seen apartments in Philadelphia and NYC rented out with no windows in Craigslist and can’t find any definitely Egress laws. Japan has those capsule beds that are even worse comparatively.
Overall, as long as it’s legal I would do it. Everyone takes responsibility for their own actions in this world knowing the consequences on both sides.
The Capsule Inn is a bona fide hotel in the heart of Tokyo. I stayed there when I went to visit my boys who were on university study abroad in Asia. It’s totally legal and safe and is simply like a hostel but one step better because they are set up with private sleeping compartments. You share a bathroom and shower area. Men’s and women’s floors are separated. I paid ¥30k, about $30 a night… It doesn’t get cheaper in Tokyo. It was comfortable, safe, private and affordable. And they had complimentary shieshedo cosmetics… Just that alone was worth the cost of admission. 
Check it out at capsuleinn.com. Highly recommend!
I couldn’t resist showing you my Tokyo capsule! As you can see they are simply beds that are private compartments. Yah, space was a little tight but what do you want for $30 USD a night? 
It came with a little tv, bathrobe, slippers, alarm clock and like I said, Shisheido hair products! It was a hoot.
Well for extra $20 you would get my “room” without a view that’s 5 times the size ha. I’ve been itching to go to Japan soon to get “weird” with them and they plethora of interesting vending machines.
If you do stay in the capsule, the only real downside I saw was that for the men, the bathing area was on another floor (toilets were however on the same floor as the capsules). The women had their own shower and bathroom area. Also, you have to check out every day by 10:00am. You MUST be quiet as a mouse in the capsule area. No cell phones!, Even the click of my camera as I took these selfies was too loud. They do have a lounge on another floor you can hang out in should you want to use the phone. There’s free wi-fi throughout the hotel.
Even though it is possible to book for multiple days, you can’t hang on to the same capsule every day as they get in and clean them daily. These places are immaculately clean. You can leave your luggage during the day however. You are also assigned two lockers… both of which you have to move out of daily. You can also book for free online, but do it in advance as they sell out. A most affordable way to stay in Tokyo…one of the busiest, priciest cities in the world!
I assume you mean Akahabara… which is the giant manga, anime and gaming district?! I was “dragged” there by my boys… the odd vending machines you describe were everywhere! Look at this one… NSFW!!! 
That’s just the tip of the iceberg with the vending machines from what I saw online, but it’s great that you experienced that with your spawn in tow!
To follow up on my call with Airbnb about the window description, they said “they” had no problem with listing it as long as it’s stated in the description with pictures and I asked them about liability and they said to get renter’s insurance and had a “program”.
I hope this helps people looking for information on hosting “windowless” rooms as it’s hard to find much on it and I’m still not sure on how profitable it is to rent out multiple rooms in one apartment with the psychology of other guests sharing space with strangers other than the host.
Trust me, I had to hang on to THEM!!! I did not want to get separated! Very interesting place, and we hit just one of the gaming and anime streets of Akahabara.
That’s super cool! I’d love to stay there one day
Hey phosho,
I list exactly what it is. “small basement windows”. There are also pictures. Pictures that are clear and accurate will be your money maker. Request an airbnb photographer. I started out with cheap air mattresses and put that directly in the listing. Never lie about anything. Then I slowly gathered bed frames and bought a foam mattress on amazon for $200 [full size]. You can furnish for below $2k I’ve done it. Around the 1st of every month people move and abandon great furniture. Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll make off great.
Anyway. I live at this location so I only bnb 3/4 rooms. Rent is $3200, utilities vary by month, usually under $200. So far this month I’ve made almost $6k. Keep in mind cleaners and cleaning supplies. I do feel a little burnt out and i think I hate people, but I’m living rent free.
Hey EHV,
I’m very honest with my descriptions as I only see issues if you aren’t otherwise in business. But the information you gave me is what I’m really looking for. Actual experience of listing a multi-room listing in in one apartment.
How long have you’ve been doing it and do you live in a top 10 US City (by size) and that sucks the side-effect that you “hate” people more. Do you think it would be different if you didn’t actually have to share the unit with them (that is my case, as I like my privacy). Or is it you don’t like cleaning, giving keys, being bugged a lot.
I’m trying to get a little more information before I commit to a one year lease for the 5 room unit.
Thanks
Hey phosho, I’m happy to help!!
I actually purchased a smart lock with a code after testing a key exchange service and also a lockbox in my hallway. People are still a little slow and refuse to read directions, but it has made me more relaxed. I put the rules in their room and also I have a p-touch label maker. I put things like “do not touch” and “free for guests” on things. I also ignore anyone who knocks on my room door while I’m sleeping. I had to draw the line somewhere. I insist that they message me on Airbnb. Sometimes it’s an emergency and 8/10x they want to make small talk…at 1am!!!
I live in NYC so I’m very very busy especially right now in the summer. I get many professionals and people who have their jobs paying for them to be there. I have a business ready status on all my rooms. Desks and chairs are really easy to find when graduates move out around May and for Winter break. My wifi has a separate guest login for my safety. I also have Piper security camera in my living room so I know who is coming in and out and also who is going into which room. Everyone knows about the camera and I feel like it has kept them more respectful of my space.
I’ve been hosting since August 2015 and I literally worked my way up from air mattresses to having a fancy lock and camera. I use waveapps.com to keep track of my expenses and I have a separate checking account. Keep track of every thing you buy for your taxes. I do think if I was in a separate unit I would like people more, but I catch bad behavior more easily and I can remedy things faster because I live there.
If I could afford another way of life I would live alone. But now I am trying to pay student loans and hopefully save to purchase a condo or something like that. 
Sounds like you definitely worked your way up from newbie to novice. Luckily I don’t have to live in the same apartment as my guests or I couldn’t do it. My unit is separate so it’s best of both worlds for me, I can easily keep tabs of them and they don’t invade my personal space or belongings. $3200 sounds like a pretty good deal for 4 bedroom in NYC! I got a good deal from my landlord for $1800 for a 5 room unit (only catch is they don’t have windows). I like your idea of making business ready rooms. I was going to make the living room in a more work share environment rather than a tv room as I want to attract more young professionals.
Few questions I wanted to ask were:
Does having multiple rooms affect the bookings. I know some people don’t like to share an apartment with too many people.
How much do you charge per room. I’m shooting around $50 to $60 initially.
What were your slowest months and how much was profit on slowest. I’m thinking February would be slowest.
What was the most tail end of the work. Cleaning rooms, checking in guests and by the sounds of it, the guests they ask you a lot of questions.
What is the maximum number of people you let stay in one room. Did you furnish rooms with twins or full?
Thanks a bunch!
Hey there, I think I’m still learning every day. The business ready thing wasn’t my own idea. It’s something you can check on your airbnb profile and I already had desks in the rooms.
I’ve only had this listing so I’m not sure how it compares. I am constantly busy though. I do get more budget travelers who can be filthy and rude. It’s a common thing that people looking for a deal will be expecting more than people who pay more.
Each of my rooms are different. The ones connected to the yard and the larger ones cost more. The smallest one is the cheapest, gets the most complaints and is also constantly booked. People are so interesting. I used beyondpricing.com to figure out a good price range and also to look at trends in my area. Looking at any charts you can find is helpful. I’ve only been doing this a year so I don’t have a lot of experience on slow seasons. Because I feel like sometimes the season is slow, but an event might be happening nearby which would give you a lot of traffic. The colder months are definitely slower in general and I get more business travelers and students. A good rule of thumb is if you aren’t booking just lower your price. $1800 isn’t bad for rent. I personally can’t eat $3200 worth of rent so I make sure to be booked.
woops answered in 2
I think chasing down people for things they broke, having enough sheets, I use handy for cleaning, I have a yale auto lock, and I have piper security system. Exchanging keys used to be the worst. Airbnb customer service has gotten pretty difficult to get a hold of easily so definitely have a security deposit and don’t hold your breath waiting for money in claims. Take pics and save receipts then keep it moving. Also taxes gave me damn heart attack. I was quoted $700 to do my taxes. I’m also a freelance designer so my records were really involved. Save 30% of what you make for this time of the year. I created a separate savings account. I’m definitely very organized and a clean freak so I find myself cleaning and cursing to myself about people - but secretly cleaning is therapeutic and I don’t mind it. This is just me though. So what sucks for you may not be what sucks for me.
In my normal full sized - queen sized rooms I say 2. I charge $20/person extra. $40/person if they were snuck in. I also have an air mattress and i just got a king sized bed from Tuft and Needle for free so I changed that listing to sleep 4. The bathroom gets hectic sometimes if you let too many people stay so keep that in mind. It’s easy to manage though. Like accepted 4 in one bedroom then only allowing 1 person in the other rooms.
ALSO, if you can ever afford to keep the apartment empty for a breather, DO IT! Burn out is not something you want. Or hire a company that will manage your listing for a bit. Relying on friends has only been stressful and not worth it,
In NYC and in many other localities it is illegal to have a bedroom with no windows. It is a safety fire hazard. A landlord can not call it a bedroom if it has no operable window. I would never do this, it’s an accident waiting to happen. Just my 2 cents.
We’ve been trying to tell them this, to no avail. Please read the story below, where the Airbnb home was raided and fined due to illegal renting, some of which included numerous code violations such as a windowless attic.
This is the story: yes it is Vancouver, but why would any city allow people to rent out rooms with no windows, in clear violation of fire safety codes? http://globalnews.ca/news/2728122/vancouver-may-be-cracking-down-on-illegal-airbnb-listings/
Right from the Philadelphia code, btw I’m an architect
Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual - City Of Philadelphia
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
of living and working spaces, bedrooms, storage, and systems—plumbing, heating, air … All sleeping rooms require a window that someone can crawl through.
Property Maintenance Code
I completely agree kona
So there you have it, Phosho, the actual Philly code.
I have it on good authority (my own) that Air CSR sometimes make up things to get the phone call with you over with. If they told you window-less rooms were “ok” with them, they know not of whence they speak.
Don’t do it.
