Airbnb, landlords, and management

[Greg Zelner]

Hi guys, maybe I can get some feedback here from the conservative landlords and/ or investor. I’ve been running Airbnb’s for several years now using sub-renting. (I rent out long-term and ask for permission to Airbnb, in exchange for paying for all routine maintenance and upkeep of the property as well as abiding to specific requests of the landlord. (For example A/C goes out and it’s $3k, I offer to pay half. If it’s something wear and tear related, I pay for the full amount.) I also, agree to screen guests according to their restrictions. For example, if they require no smoking, only 2 guests/ night, or a minimum age of 25, I follow that.

I’m always looking to expand and typically speak to landlords directly or a realtor and am upfront about how I earn a living, but I do regularly get met with a lot of push back and only get an occasional yes.

What I mentioned above is typically very close to how I present my case and even though we have not had any bad experiences due to the nature of the business which we’ve been successfully running for 3 years now, we still get turned away and I can’t understand why as we follow all county and city ordinances as well as the agreement with the landlord to a T. We also increase revenue by covering the maintenance expenses and paying a higher rent. General Liability is covered by the website policy and we also purchase our own if requested.

So, is there any real reason why a landlord with an investment property would be against it?