Mid-term STR by room or whole house? East Austin

[Brad Shepherd]

I have a house in far East Austin (just east of 12th and Webberville for those familiar with the area) which I originally intended as a flip, but now I'm in love and can't let it go. Kidding, but the full story is much longer and boring.

I have one property I rent as an STR and I'm considering doing the same thing for this house, though it's much further outside the city center and a 20 minute drive from where I live as opposed to a one-minute walk. One thought I've had is to go with a mid-term rental approach making it a 31 day minimum rental, renting the whole house. Then I talked to another local investor who's renting his out by the room with a 31 day minimum. He's even further out of town but crushing it. Says he gets a lot of traveling nurses.

I can't get my head around strangers being ok sharing a house with another stranger, how to handle the make ready at turnover, and if some potential guests are going to want to meet/vet the roommates.

The upside is the increased revenue potential. The downside - ? Are there potential roommate issues? Do I have to worry about mixing genders? Other hassles? Has anyone done the roommate STR scenario before and able to offer advice? Any guidance on the mid-term plan would also be welcomed.