Family cabin in the mountains next to a major ski resort. Why not AirBnB?

[Zach Rumfield]

I’ve been discussing with my dad the idea of converting our cabin in Ruidoso, NM, into an Airbnb. It seems like a great opportunity—it’s located in a charming, small community surrounded by the national forest, just minutes from a major ski resort. Currently, the cabin is only used by our family about three weeks a year, and the rest of the time, it just sits unused.

For context, the property is in my parents’ name, and they’ve owned it for over 15 years, since I was a kid. My primary motivation is to ensure my dad doesn’t have to worry about financial stress after retirement. I’m trying to convince him that listing the cabin on Airbnb could be a great source of passive income.

I wanted to reach out to the BiggerPockets community for advice. Does anyone have experience with running Airbnbs, particularly cabins in forested or remote areas? What steps, resources, or preparations would be essential to make this a successful venture? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!