All Forum Posts by: Jason Muth

How about

Early Emily who asks about early-check in, is told we have a same-day turnover and need the full time between guests to get everything ready for her, and shows up early anyway.

Trash Can Travis who cannot find the trash cans for the life of him, despite the printed instructions and information in the interactive guidebook that he's received twice before, and decided to leave trash bags in [the garage, the shed, on the porch, in the driveway]

"Where's the Beach" Wendy who still decides that the neighbor's obviously private lakefront beach across the street from where she's staying must be the public community lakefront beach because it's the first one that she sees, despite instructions directing her to the short 4-minute walk down the street to the community beachfront, and the multiple signs, messages, and warnings about not trespassing on neighbors' yards

I know that this is a super old thread, but for anyone looking in Provincetown, shoot me a message.

We own Prideaway Stays, which is a gay-owned, tech-driven short-term rental co-hosting business
for homeowners and guests in Provincetown. We're the first company specifically serving Provincetown that Airbnb welcomed into their official Experienced Co-Hosting program.

The prices in Provincetown have truly accelerated since we purchased property back in 2018.

Lots of folks like us who got in before the pandemic are cash-flowing and we've seen sharp increases in value. Buyers today are still looking for good investments (obviously), but the most achievable scenario is short-term renting a property to help subsidize (or fully cover) expenses while living out a lifelong dream to own property in Provincetown.

We own and operate 5 between New Hampshire and Provincetown, MA, and have a property management / co-hosting business that serves Ptown (which is a highly seasonal vacation market that's swamped from June-August, solid in Sept, Oct, and May, quieter in Nov-Dec, and below 10% occupancy from Jan-Apr).

We've learned to automate whatever possible in terms of messaging and pricing, but automating does NOT mean autopilot. Build good local teams in your markets, treat them well, and pay them on time. We learn our markets by being present in them (not 24/7, but enough to speak confidently about where to go and what to do). Treat your neighbors well and hire them whenever appropriate. Go above and beyond with your guests. Don't be cheap. Realize that you're in a hospitality business with the benefits of also being a real estate investment, not vice versa.

I'd like to see Airbnb and VRBO require local permit numbers. Going through the permitting process for our properties isn't always simple, and property owners who choose to ignore the local restrictions should not be allowed to post their properties on the OTAs.

 Given where inflation is, I'd take "pay me now" over "pay me later" any day of the week. If you sell, you can always 1031 exchange and defer taxes (although your basis will indeed be lower because of all of the accelerated depreciation, you're still deferring it). And if you end up passing it on to an heir, there will be a stepped up basis.

How much longer is the lease term? You could always turn a blind eye, collect the rent you've agreed to, and not renew them.

Hello! I've been a huge BP fan for years, attended BPCON, and we've even had Bigger Pockets hosts on our podcast (The Real Estate Law Podcast)

We've been managing our own Short-Term rentals in New Hampshire and Provincetown since 2016 and are 26x Airbnb Superhosts and 25x VRBO Premier Partners.

After many "I'd love to pick your brain" conversations with friends, family, and members of the BP community, we officially have decided to offer STR Co-Hosting / Property Management to the Provincetown, Massachusetts community of vacation rental owners.

Prideaway Stays is a gay-owned, tech-driven short-term rental co-hosting business for homeowners and guests in historic and magical Provincetown, Massachusetts.

With a commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and supporting LGBTQ+ causes, Prideaway Stays enhances the vacation rental experience for both homeowners and guests.

Would love to chat with you if you're an owner in Provincetown or are considering an investment property there!

I wouldn't trust the listing agent, that's for sure.

You don't want to operate where you aren't welcomed by the neighbors. even if nothing passes, a complaining neighbor can ruin your and your guests experiences.

We're in Farmington and things have been going well, but a few additional units have popped onto Airbnb of late, and our concern is less about competition and more about them ruining the perception for us if they aren't operating well and don't behave as good neighbors.

You won't be able to do this in Boston. Link below.

City of Boston STR regulations

I like the concept of MTRs, but very rarely can I get the numbers to work for our STRs. Most inquiries on Airbnb and VRBO are people between primary homes, and they're looking for 12-month unfurnished lease rates for the price of what I'm offering (fully furnished, all utilities included, etc.)

The original MTRs are corporate apartments.

We stayed in a corporate apartment for about a month after we sold our place in Boston and were waiting the final touches for new construction that we were purchasing in Newburyport. We wanted a change of pace and picked a fancy new apartment high-rise in a different neighborhood (we picked a building called Hub50 House, which was right next to the TD Garden and the North End - lots of activity because we rented during Celtics and Bruins playoffs, and walking 100 feet to a Who concert certainly didn't stink!)

From what I discovered, the corporate apartments are essentially Airbnb arbitragers. They lease units in this and other units around town, furnish them with VERY basic furnishings that any good Airbnb host would be embarrassed to have in their places, and make money on the delta. The building was great, the amenities on the 15th and 31st floors were major selling points, the unit was fine, but as an Airbnb host, how the people from whom we leased the unit appointed the apartment could have been better. I'd be shocked if they spent more than $5k on bed, mattress, couch, chair, tables, linens, and kitchen items.

We didn't have to pay tax on the rental because it was over 30 days (33 to be exact), but that will differ across municipalities.

The opportunity for STR operators is to provide an improved experience than what the larger corporate lease companies are doing.