Hello everyone,
As some of you might know, we can also rent long-term on Airbnb and here’s my latest blog post about this subject.
Enjoy. 
Dany
Dear Beach_Guy,
If you open your mind and try to envision the future, you might see that hand signed leases are just about to disappear from the surface of the earth (just like CD’s and DVD’s are disappearing since Steve Job envisioned iTunes). If you look at Airbnb, it’s pretty much the iTunes of home rentals and it’s ahead of its time by “digitalizing” the way we rent properties, forcing many laws to change along the way.
That said, I’m assuming you are an Airbnb Host since you are very active replying to each one of my posts on this forum. Do you provide hand written leases to all your short-term Guests? I’m assuming not because you rent through Airbnb. What is your “Daddy-O Judge” gonna say about this when you go to court with your short term tenant?
I’m not a lawyer and I never will be one but all transactions on Airbnb have a date, a length of time, a price and conditions. I think that if you can provide proof that your tenant (short-term or long-lerm) has rented your place through certains conditions on Airbnb, it’s proof of an agreement. Any Judge should recognize such agreement whether it’s digital via Airbnb or hand written of a piece of paper.
So please, stop hating me for writing educative material about Airbnb because if you are going to hate every single post I write, you are not done, I’m just getting started here.
And yes I know how to write catchy titles. As Bruno Mars once said : “You pick up some fans and a handful of haters along the way.”
I don’t know why but you seem to have fallen on the haters category.
Best,
Dany
Bad advice for telling people they can also offer their place for rent long-term on Airbnb and showing them how this option works?
Haters : http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hater
A person that simply cannot be happy for another person’s success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.
Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesnt really want to be the person he or she hates, rather the hater wants to knock somelse down a notch.
Love always wins.
“Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.”
I loooooove Tim Ferris. 
Beach Guy,
I wasn’t clear from your post if you are suggesting people rent for more than 30 days at a time. But in order to avoid an issue of where a guests cries “tenant” - it is best to have a formally hand signed contract. Here in NC we have an expedited eviction process for stays of 30 days or less. But you have to follow certain procedures in order to comply with the law. One of them is to have the guests permanent address so they can’t cry “tenant.”
That’s why many also require Airbnb guests to sign a written contract. It’s also a reason why I won’t even entertain a stay over two weeks.
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Thanks for sharing your booking procedures Beach_Guy.
So it sounds like you have 2 ways of booking people : via your own website and via Airbnb.
I did not mean to insult anyone with the “1999” reference but yeah, this entire way of working (booking clients with signed contracts sent by fax or by regular mail and so forth) is pretty much a “pre-internet” way of doing things. As you said, the number of guests who request a copy through the Mail has diminished so it’s only a matter of time until people (and your State) get fully accustomed to doing all of these transactions paperless / 100% digital.
In the meantime, nothing stops you from continuing to do things the way you do but in the winter months, since you already offer Sublets via your own website, you could also offer these listings at a competitive monthly rate directly on Airbnb. Because if there’s already a demand for this in your area via your website, there should be a demand for this on Airbnb. (You have to remember that these are 2 totally different markets for you - your website and Airbnb).
And if you did some monthly bookings via Airbnb, you wouldn’t have to worry about collecting funds: it would be all automated by Airbnb. And for the “paper trail”, if you really want to have Guests still sign a regular contract for your requirements mandated by the state, nothing stops you from doing it at the Guests arrival. If you mention this in your discussion prior to booking the Guests, I’m sure they’ll be fine with your vintage “1999” rule. 
Secrets, you sound like a non-attorney giving legal advice on a complex issue that varies not only from state to state but possibly from county to county. What school did you get your law degree from again?
Beach is right and correct of course. Why? He doesn’t want to end up in court trying to evict people with a post-1999 mentality. Pardon me for saying this but something tells me you yourself weren’t even born by 1999.
Again, this is a forum where hosts communicate with each other, not where amateur blog writers come to peddle their absurd articles. Most of us know better but then again there might be some foolish enough to believe your advice and follow it. Once again proving that if you read it on the Internet after 1999 it must be true.
Really? How old are you actually? Grow up!
Give me a break. If you are going to blast us with juvenile memes, at least make sure the name is spelled right. Oh and it would help to have the QUOTE correct as well.
“An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its
breach is more so. Now the law of nonviolence says that violence should
be resisted not by counter-violence but by nonviolence. This I do by
breaking the law and by peacefully submitting to arrest and
imprisonment.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi,
Non-violence in Peace and War 1942-49
Please, Secrets, why are you continuing to harass us here? I’m getting close to flagging you.
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I know you weren’t replying to me but I am going to respond anyway. There is nothing vintage about requiring a hand signed contract. My guests, print, sign, and scan back to me. No issues.
Are you aware that VISA goes by old guidelines? In the case of a charge back - depending on which code the cardholder filed under…VISA will require a hand signature. They have extremely detailed guidelines. For example, the cancellation policy must be closed within a quarter of an inch of the signature line- don’t quote me on that but it is an example of certain procedures that must be followed.
Another is that VISA does not allow someone to use their card for damages UNLESS the cardholder gives permission. The cardholder must be notified of the charges happens after they happen and then provide authorization. If someone has in their contract that guest agrees to be charged that is not good enough for VISA. It must be done according to their procedures.
I would never allow someone to rent my place for a month by credit card. I need a check.
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Secrets - do you know if the tenants rights work with Airbnb subleasing? What happens when a guest closes his credit card, stop paying the rent and has tenants rights? I wonder if Airbnb steps ups and pays for the lawyer fees, etc.
I didn’t know about Airbnb Subleasing - not that I’m interested but good to know.