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I’m so glad I found this forum! This is such a helpful community.
I"m going to be posting a question next but wanted to introduce myself first.
My name is WIllow and I live in the Denver area.
My business partner and i are in the process of getting our hands on a property that we’ll rent out as an ABB.
She’s purchasing the property and I’m doing all of the legwork- working with the realtor, going to showings, deciding which properties we should bid on, reviewing HOA agreements, etc.
I’ll also be doing the work of finding furnishing the condo and will be the Property Manager.
This forum is mainly for established hosts to discuss issues relating to hosting indvidual guests or Airbnb’s ever changing policies.
However in recent months we have had a few new hosts joining. So do use the search function to find their posts and the advice given.
The best advice for new hosts on setting up their listings is on Airbnb’s own website including the Airbnb Help Centre and the guides and tutorials on Airbnb’s Community Centre.
Do have a read through these resources and print off key pages for reference. You’re likely to find most of your questions are answered relating to set up either by searching on this forum or through the Airbnb resources I have mentioned.
I’m not from the US but from reading on here and other forums it seems many HOAs don’t allow for STRs.
I would just add that you should also have a look at your local legislative website to have a look at what regulatory bills may be introduced and are working their way through the system.
Realtors aren’t going to know and even if they did, they aren’t going to tell you. They just want to make a sale.
For instance, if you were buying a place in rural Hawaii Island and searched for bills, you would be shocked to see that ALL new rentals in ag zones are going to be banned. That means unless you are in a resort area you will not be able to use it as a STR unless you can show proof of paying tax before January 2018 and have the permit that had been granderfathered in by the previous owner. No such permits have yet been issued, and the permit process for these granderfathered properties are estimated to take at least six months.
There are at least 26 new pieces of legislation being discused at the state level.
I would be willing to bet there are homes in the ag zones closing at this very moment where the new owners expect they can rent them out on Air or VRBO. They will be sorely disappointed.
And if you did take your chances and rent illegally, the state legislators are trying to pass legislation right now that would make it a class c felony to do so. Yes you would be tossed in the same bin as rapists and burglars if you dare open an Airbnb Dashboard and list your place.
Most big cities are introducing regulation, even if it’s still in progress.
You’ll find a wealth of fabulous information here at the forum. Be aware that we rarely agree ( ) so you’ll get many points of view. But reading here will be invaluable.
It’s like an Airbnb university
A word of caution - be sure that your rental/s will still be in demand if there are any legislative problems. So many areas are legislating against STRs . Be sure not to rely on Airbnb.
Hi @wonderwillow, you’ve picked a good place for your research, a lot of threads can be real eye-openers as to what kind of things you’ll be up against! See you in a few months once you got your property and kitted it out.
Be very careful about properties with HOAs. They can ban Airbnb rentals at any time. It happened to me in CA. They can override any local laws.
I also found this info online which seems to indicate that the rental must be your primary residence. And as Kona said do not rely on realtors, they will say anything to make a sale, well most will!
) so you’ll get many points of view. But reading here will be invaluable.