Is it a bad idea to convert this LTR into a STR?

[Stephanie Medina]

I own a LTR in central Houston that I think would be pretty successful as an STR based on the AirDNA data. I also am very interested in purchasing more STRs, and this is a really low risk way to see if I'm up for it (we have a 2.9% interest rate on our mortgage).

My biggest concern is an ongoing plumbing issue we have had. This is a 3 story town home (detached) that shares a private sewage line with 7 other homes. When we lived there up until last year, 1-2x a year there would be a clog that would cause a backup of sewage in the downstairs tub and toilet. The city would come flush the system, and said everyone needs to stop flushing wipes and pouring grease down drains, etc. It persisted despite our best efforts with our neighbors. Once I turned it into a LTR I was determined to solve it, so I had a very reputable plumber camera the line after it happened again. Long story short, he couldn't see anything wrong, but said he would have a lot better idea if he could camera the line during the next clog before it is cleared. He strongly discouraged adding a backwater preventer bc he said he's seen it make things worse. So that has been my "next action step" to wait for a clog to happen again and have him camera it, but it has now been almost 1.5 years with no incidents.

TLDR: There is a chance that the bottom bathroom tub/toilet could fill with sewage during a guest stay, but I am hopeful that the next time it happens will be the last. I just don't know when or if it will happen again.

Would it be a bad idea to move forward with converting my LTR to a STR? If so, and this does happen during a guest stay, how would you handle the situation? Thanks in advance!