HOA Issues with Airbnb: Fight it? Turn Corporate? Other items?

[Jonathan H.]

Hi!  

Perhaps too impulsively, I invested 20k to set up an Airbnb in an HOA governed neighborhood: one of the few left unregulated outside of Boulder, CO, and the neighbors just informed me that there are several clear rules I am breaking with my Airbnb Ads, he has found them and requested I stop at threat of calling in the HOA.

Im looking at creative solutions... 

ROOMMATES

A fall back is to go with roommates of course, that would cover the rent and given its furnished I might make back my investment capital in 2-3 years. 

CORPORATE RENTALS

Can I do corporate rentals with a 30 day min?  If I do that, what might that look like?  I found several options on other posts but have not found any sites that seem to be operating significantly in my area. 

AIRBNB W 30 DAY MIN

Seems reasonable, although technically the HOA rules state that any commercial use is forbidden and that they will interpret an airbnb listing as evidence of such.

Any other options?

I have been offered an out, in 8 months, which means that I could get roommates to cover the rent, and move all the furnishings into a new home to recoup 70% of the investment capital... Thats definitely a possibility. 

Would love to hear what others would do in the same situation. 

[Paul Sandhu]

Corporate rentals are a myth in my opinion.  I've sent out solicitation letters to at least 50 companies in the last few years and zero have responded.  I've rented out STRs to at least 1500 people here for work in the last 8 years (refinery contractors).

Every single one of them is given a per diem. They are told to come here, find a place to stay, then report for work. The actual person staying in your STR is the one that makes the decision to stay there. The companies are very hands off when it comes to where their employees stay.

Now there are some companies that put their people up in motels.  I've met their management and asked them why they don't put people up in my places.  They tell me "Your houses are nice, you don't want the kinds of front line people we hire to stay in your places.  There is a reason they are in a motel room by themselves.  There is also a reason why we pay the motels directly for their stay, they have poor money management skills."  And then I meet some of the front line people staying in a motel.  I don't like them.  Some of my tenants come to my own house to drink beer and shoot guns.  Some of my tenants buy me a beer if they see me in a bar.  The scum people staying in a motel, I would be afraid to drink beer with them because I fear that I might get stabbed.  For real.  They look like felons.