All Forum Posts by: Paul Sandhu

@Jeff Piscioniere

Netflix only streams what is in the Netflix library.

A Roku is more universal.  It has Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and a bunch more streaming options.  All these options usually have some sort of monthly membership, but there are still free channels and services on Roku.

Netflix is like a page out of a book.  Roku is the whole book.

I have 22 furnished rentals.  The better half of the houses have an HDTV in the living room.  The HDTV is a Smart TV or is connected to a BluRay player that provides streaming services.  Either way, my renters can use their own Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime account to stream what they want.

In this day and age, if someone doesn't have one of those accounts it is because they can't afford it or the idea of streaming does not appeal to them.

If they can't afford it, they definitely can't afford to stay in a STR.

If streaming doesn't appeal to them, why should you pay for the service?

What I'm trying to say is put a Smart TV or a streaming BluRay player in your place.  I'd suggest a BluRay because movies come out on Redbox before they come out on streaming.

Occasionally we have several places come open at the same time and are expecting new tenants.  Normally my wife does the cleaning but when we are in a bind and need extra help we hire her daughter.  8 of our places are apartments, the floor plan is identical.  When you clean one, you know how to clean them all.  We have her daughter clean the apartments when necessary.  2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, around 800 square feet.  Flat rate of $75 is what we pay her the next day in cash.

Her daughter has a husband.  She cleans their own house too, for free.  Our son in law gets to sleep with her.

I don't think you can use the terms ADU (Affordable Dwelling Unit) and Short Term Housing in the same sentence. The weekly rate I charge for Short Term Housing is the same that another person would charge if the house was rented by the month.

Here are my 3 criteria for buying a STR:

1. Will 6 months of rent pay for the house?

2. Would my wife and I live in the house and be comfortable?

3. Would my wife and I live in the neighborhood and like it?

The 3 answers must be "Yes".

Most of my renters find my ad on craigslist.  I rent to refinery contractors....welders, boilermakers, pipefitters, etc.

Some guys find out about my places from the local prostitutes.  They would rather do their business in a furnished house instead of a motel room.  I get referral renters from the local working women.  

The above may offend people, but it is business.

For my smaller places I buy a 4-roll pack of acceptable lower quality t.p. for each toilet.  My smaller places (2 bedrooms) have either a full bath or a full and a half bath.  That's $2 or $4 in t.p. for each unit.  They rent for $400/week.  

My larger houses (with 4-9 beds in them) get one big jumbo pack of acceptable lower quality t.p. and I set it on the dining table along with towels and soap.  Granted, my larger houses may also have only 2 toilets, but there can be  3-6 guys staying in there. Total cost is $6 to $8. 

I do not provide replacement t.p.  My logic is that the tenant knows that I will replace it with acceptable lower quality t.p.; but they want some higher quality t.p. to wipe with (like Charmin) so they take it upon themselves to buy the higher quality stuff.

Now laundry detergent, we put the good stuff in there.  When people run out, they have to buy their own.  95% of the time they buy the cheap stuff and leave it behind when they move out.  I generally use this detergent to clean oil spots on the driveway, not to use it to clean any linens or towels.

@Andrew Wong "compare that to a hotel nearby"

That is how I priced my furnished rentals.  There are 6 motels in this town.  3 of them charge around $400 a week for a room with 2 beds.  The other 3 charge around $700 a week for a nice room with 2 beds and access to a pool, weight room, and free breakfast.

So I charge $400 for 2 bedroom places that are as nice as the $700 a week motel, but people can cook, do their laundry, have their wife visit, shoot a bow & arrow in the back yard, process a deer in the garage, work on their vehicle, etc.  Stuff that can't be done in a motel.

@Ethan Cooke

Four of my furnished rentals are 4-bedroom or larger houses.  One house has 9 beds, another has 7, the next 6, and the last 5.  I rent them to groups of co-workers working short term jobs at a refinery.  It can be difficult to put 4+ unrelated guys in a house together, because there are usually some people that don't get along with others.  

The easiest way to rent out the big houses to big groups is when the group is an extended family that works together.  A father and son, cousin, uncle, brother, in-law, neighbor.  Also, groups of people from south Texas are use to cramming as many people as possible into the space available in order to save money.  I charge $200/week for the first 4 occupied beds in 3 of the above houses.  Beyond 4 or 5 people it gets crowded, so I don't charge any extra and pass the savings on to the tenants.  That gets me repeat business.

The house with 9 beds has 4 baths, a Jacuzzi and a kegorator.  I charge for the first 6 people.  When 6 people are paying rent and not tearing up the house, I buy the house a keg of their choice each week.  The weekly rent of the 6th person more than covers the cost of the keg, even if it is imported.  

Maybe put a Blu-Ray player in there?  Buy a bulk lot of movies from eBay and stick them in the property.  Tenants can always use Redbox.