All Forum Posts by: Carolyn Fuller

I definitely think it is a huge red flag. If you aren't using your own fixed term lease with your month long rentals, you should be. Anyone who is staying a month or longer should be going through a normal tenant process, including an interview and lease.

@Chelsey Coleman My husband and I have a guest room that we mostly rent mid term to visiting scholars, interns and students. Between those rentals we will list it on Airbnb for vacationers. 

The short term rentals are a lot more work than the mid term rentals but it is a nice mix.

Since we are sharing our home, we have a home sharing agreement that our guest signs for the mid term rentals. It covers everything from the specific start and end dates, quiet hours, common space sharing, overnight guests, etc. 

Keep in mind that month+ rentals are usually covered by state laws governing tenant / landlord rights and responsibilities. In the eyes of the law, any legal conflict between you and your guest will be treated as a landlord / tenant conflict even if the rental is a room in your own home.  

Quote from @Carolyn Yates:

Thank you! I did read Boston's ordinance but honestly it made no sense to me. If you can only STR your primary residence when would you rent it? Only when you are not in residence? The air bnb's help page was more informative but I guess it's still not clear to me what is allowed other than a multi tenant building that you own. I am trying to bring myself up to speed! I appreciate your help!

Cambridge regulations are similar to Boston's and I have 2 legal Cambridge listings on Airbnb. One of my listings is a guest room in our home and the other listing is an in-law apartment on the first floor of our home.

Quote from @Carolyn Yates:

That is a good explanation. Makes more sense. Wondering how hard it is to identify a property that you can STR before you purchase it.

I think the only Boston properties that you can STR are ones that you plan on purchasing as your primary residence. In a nutshell, unless you are planning on moving to Boston, I would look elsewhere for STR investing.

You should check out Boston's short term rental regulations. Unlike most cities their regulations are enforced by the platforms. Airbnb & VRBO require a valid Boston registration number in order to list your Boston property on either of their platforms.

Airbnb has a pretty easy to read help page for Boston hosts.

@Lisa G.We haven't had any issues where furniture needed to be replaced immediately. We see that something needs to be replaced but it is still usable. That gives us time to find a replacement. You would never want to put off replacing something until it becomes unusable. 

Keep in mind that used furniture needs to be replaced more often than new furniture. We purchased brand new furniture in one rental and 2nd hand furniture in the other. We need to replace the 2nd hand couch for the second time. It seems like yesterday when we moved that couch into the apartment! It is a pain in the neck so I've decided to purchase a new couch this time around in hopes it doesn't need replacing for at least 15 years.  

@John Underwood "I would add this to the lease about starter supplies including cleaning products."

What a brilliant idea! 

Thanks!!

I don't have anything in my lease in regards to furnishings specifically. I use to collect a security deposit but decided it was more hassle than it was worth. The vast amount of damage is normal wear and tear. Beyond that, I remember being a hotel guest when I spilt a bottle of red wine on the room's bedding and the hotel didn't bat an eye. They did not charge me for damages. They considered it just part of doing business. I'm passing that treatment on to my tenants and guests. 

I supply enough supplies for the first 24 hours, a bar of hand soap, a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, and cleaning supplies. That's it.

This past year, I had a tenant who expected me to restock the cleaning supplies when they were consumed. That was a first and I've been renting 2 units as MTR for over 10 years. I told him that I only stocked the initial supplies and expected my tenants to do their own shopping thereafter. 

It is possible as more and more MTR tenants become use to Airbnb rentals that more will assume that I will keep them supplied in cleaning supplies. I'm hoping that is not the case...

5 star ratings are significantly dependent upon your cleaning crew. If you have a reliable, thorough cleaner and you are striving for 5 star ratings, I would pay the cleaner whatever they request.

When I finally found such a cleaner, I asked her how much she wanted to make it worth her while to guarantee my unit would be cleaned perfectly and on time. I give her the monthly schedule a few days before the start of the month and she guarantees the unit will be cleaned in the window between check-outs and check-ins. Since she has been my cleaner, almost every single guest I have has left a review and it always is 5 stars! It is worth every penny I pay this cleaner.

Thanks for the heads up. This is a relatively new policy put into effect in October, 2023:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/990