Utilising spare room in a rented home with Airbnb

gyorfitam

Hi All,

If we are renting a 3 bedroom house / flat and we are only using 2 bedrooms, is it possible to put the 3rd bedroom on Airbnb to make a little bit of money?
It seems in the area we are looking for properties, we can't really find 2 bedroom ones but we don't really need a 3rd room (especially for a higher price) but we would consider this option if it's possible to compensate a little bit with the help of Airbnb.

hazyjo

Why not just get a lodger? Prob a lot less hassle.

Cakeguts

Some flats are in areas where you need planning permission for airbnb. So the lease of the flat might not allow it.

gyorfitam

We wouldn't like to actually have people living there all the time but having guests sounds more acceptable or even interesting.

gyorfitam

Should I ask this directly the agent who's showing me the place?

gyorfitam

Or another version: my partner could utilise the room for her business on weekdays and do Airbnb on weekends. And in this case we still have the flexibility to use the room when we actually have guests (family, friends).

gingercordial

Do you live anywhere where the local council limits Airbnb?

Will you be OK with all the extra admin and mess and having to be there to check them in and out?

Are you happy that, if they are staying and you and your partner both go out, they could in theory roam around your whole house and steal your things? Or will you put locks on all of your internal doors?

Certainly in my area there are plenty of rooms in houses on Airbnb, and I'm sure it is a way of meeting interesting (for better or worse) people, so some must be OK with doing it.

Soundgirlrocks

Landlords might be nervous there have been some horror stories in London about people renting a property and running exclusively as an Air B&B

gyorfitam

We are talking about Bristol.

MovingForwards

See if your tenancy allows you to sub-let, whilst checking for that see if it allows the property to be used for business purposes.

Once you have checked the above, check what your home insurance says about it in the T&C's.

If you want extra cash and you have no exclusions think about a Monday to Friday lodger.

Mutton_Geoff

I had two house insurance companies refuse me cover if I let any part of my house via AirBNB.


If I were still a landlord and discovered this subletting going on, I would serve notice because the risk of you deciding to maybe let all the rooms whilst you went on holiday etc would be too risky for me.


What about your AST, what does that say about subletting?