Jersey City AirBnB Advice

[Andrew Rodriguez]

I'm about to make an offer on my first property, a 2 unit house-hack in Jersey City, NJ. The downstairs unit is a bit small and will yield around $1,700/mo in rent. However, the locatin of the property is great, only a 15-20 minute bus ride to Manhattan, a close walk to Hoboken or the light rail. As a result, my agent said the downstairs unit will yield $2,800 - $3,000 as an AirBnb property. I'm looking for advice as a prospective first-time AirBnB host, particularly in Jersey City. 

- Is it is difficult to AirBnB your house hack? What have been some challenges you've faced?

- How good is the Jersey City Heights area for AirBnB? What type of guests does it attract?

- Is there any reason to create an LLC? Usually that's not necessary for your first house-hack multi-family, but does AirBnB change that?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

[Allan Szlafrok]

@Andrew Rodriguez Jersey city just passed regulation effectually banning Airbnb in the city. It’s going to go to court but I wouldn’t bother with that strategy until that gets sorted out I believe even if the owner lives in the property you will be limited to a certain number of days to rent the unit out short term. Consider sticking with a traditional house hack strategy until the Airbnb case works through the courts.