Guests staying in living room?

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Good Evening,

I have seen a few listing like this and I am thinking of trying it.

Any suggestions on turning my living room into a profitable airbnb listing?

Thanks!

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That’s called couch surfing …

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You can do it if you’re prepared for it - look for “shared spaces” in your city and see how hosts are doing it. Because there is no expectation of privacy shared spaces are usually priced quite low, and that attracts a budget traveller. Normally a budget traveller isn’t a cute 22 year old girl or guy backpacking after graduation, it’s normally some stinky old guy who is looking for the absolute cheapest place he can find because he can’t even afford to stay in a motel.

In my opinion you’d be better off staying in the living room yourself and renting out your own room and charging a bit more but that might not work for you.

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If you do a search in New York for the cheapest shared spaces, there are some crazy things. One lady rents out a corner in her living room. There is no bed or couch. Just a corner. You have to bring your own sleeping bag.

There’s another host who has these things she calls sleeping pods. They are kind like white, round zip up enclosures. I imagine her living room must look creepy with lots of the pods scattered around.

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@J_Wang does that in LA. They might have some advice.

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Tooooo funny! Actually, “normally”, the budget travelers I get for my shared space ARE super cute, young guys and girls. In fact yesterday I welcomed Alek from San Francisco for a 2 day stay. He’s come for orientation at the university. He’s a transfer student completing his degree in aerospace engineering. Then on Sunday there’s another kid coming from the Bay Area to do the same–orientation at the uni. He’s a recent high school grad starting his degree in engineering also.

I don’t know what you’re basing your opinion on, but just because the price is low does not mean you’re going to get “lowlife”. Not the case at all. F.Y.I. I’ve welcomed over 60 guests and not ONE of them was “a stinky old man”:slight_smile:

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Check out PodShare.com They are in the Los Angeles area and seem to be doing quite well. If you look at their site you’ll quickly see that it’s geared toward millennials. In fact they actually say that! Which does seem very ageist, but then after you look at what they offer you’ll see why.

As for the woman offering a corner in her living room; I think that’s great! I think some hosts have a very fixed idea about what guest accommodation should look like–and that’s fine; but Air allows people to offer all kinds of places to sleep other than in a private room with Laura Ashley sheets, ensuite bathroom and a Kuerig (sp?).

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Do it!

I have a bed in the corner of my living room and for several weeks running I’ve been booked pretty much every day. Sometimes I’ll block out a day before and after to give myself a break, but otherwise I’m making $700+(US) a month and without that much hassle–mostly because I accept just one guest at a time and the turnaround I’ve got down to a science.

I do have a couple of suggestions for you to consider before you take the leap. My living room is huge and I don’t use it. I live alone and I hang out in my cave, so my guests don’t have to encroach on my personal space. However, if you do use your living room for TV viewing, socializing, etc., then you need to set some rules, which most people are happy to comply with if you’re giving them a nice place to sleep for a decent price.

There is a Super Air host very near me who is booked solid with solo guests for her living room sofa, but she also has a couple of rooms available. Her rules are extensive and she states emphatically that they need to get out of the house during the day, which I think is so funny–but she’s booked solid and has 5 star ratings!

So just make sure you set the expectations before you get any guests. I should copy and paste this woman’s rules! Oh, and she does NOT supply bedding! Only a bottom sheet I think.

Let us know how it goes!

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