Why hosting via Airbnb makes sense in Annapolis

[Marylin OShea]

Whether you intend to host in Annapolis on a full time basis (as most investors do) or on select weeks or weekends (as many families do), you will find that the sailing capital of the United States is a high-traffic area!

It will supply steady demand for your property, not only only downtown, but also in the greater Annapolis region.

Hosting means managing a short-term rental property and usually advertising online, through a platform like Airbnb or VRBO. The property page is called the "listing".

Here is an example of a listing page, my Annapolis property on Airbnb.

Why host on Airbnb in the first place?

Simply put, hosting helps offset the cost of owning a home and creates the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world.

Can I host only a few time per year?

Of course! Most platforms including Airbnb do not impose any requirements of volume of bookings. No long-term commitment either!

In fact, there is a very large number of homeowners in Annapolis who rent out their home on a very occasional basis only. These hosts only open their homes to guests a few times a year. (see the list of opportunities below!)

Why Annapolis?

With an estimated 2 million visitors annually, Annapolis ranks as one of the top tourist destinations in North America.

The main pull of Annapolis is the unique charm of a historic town right on the Chesapeake Bay. Add a very favorable geographic location, adjacent to three high-density metro areas: Baltimore, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia. The perfect recipe for hosting success!

Special events in Annapolis

In addition to popular holidays like Independence Day (July 4), Thanksgiving (November), and Christmas/New Years (December), here are the events that attract a large crowd to Annapolis every year:

* The regular legislative session (you probably knew that Annapolis is the capital of the state of Maryland!). Typical runs from mid-January through mid-April.

* The Naval Academy's graduation week and related celebrations such as the Blue Angels air show, known as Commissioning week, at the end of May;

* Boat show weeks - did you know there are two major boat shows in the Fall every year? The sailboat show and the (smaller) powerboat show are held over consecutive weekends in October; check the , as the dates vary from year to year. There is also a Spring boat show typically held in April that's growing in popularity.

* Navy sporting events, especially the football games hosted at the Navy stadium in Homewood-Germantown. Review .

There are many other events that bring in tourists and business travelers to the city of Annapolis throughout the year. Check the for more details.

Price accordingly

Hosts looking to capitalize on the many special events held in Annapolis must adjust their rates according to the market and demand. Or they will miss out on significant income!

Whether you're looking to host occasionally or more regularly, the rules for success are the same: study your competition (listings around you) to make sure your nightly rate and fees are priced competitively; and take into account the above special events to maximizing your short-term rental revenue.

Ready to host? Let's go!

Disclosure: I am a resident of Annapolis, a professional host and a residential real estate agent. As part of the Airbnb Ambassador program, I receive a small referring fee from Airbnb for onboarding new hosts via my referral link. That's it!

[Adrian Tilston]

Hi Marylin,

Thanks for the information on the limitation of being a city resident or using a local property manager. I was actually looking at Annapolis but hadn't dug into the specifics on the local regulation yet. I certainly understand those limitations, but with the current prices, that seems to remove a lot of the cash flow from the properties I see in the area. Are STR property manager rates still in the 20%-30% of gross revenue? I'm actually shopping for an STR on the Chesapeake right now, but have had difficulty making any of the properties pencil out from Annapolis. Is there something I'm not considering between property prices and AirDNA rentalizer/AirBNB comp search?

Thanks!