The key factor is ensuring the property qualifies for favorable tax treatment by adhering to IRS rules regarding short-term rentals and material participation.For the 7-day rule, the IRS requires that:The average guest stay must be seven days or less for the property to qualify as a short-term rental.If the average stay is 30 days or less, you must provide substantial services similar to what hotels offer, such as daily cleaning or concierge services.Regarding material participation, to further classify the income as non-passive, you must meet one of the following criteria:You spend more than 500 hours actively managing the rental in a year.You manage the business yourself and spend at least 100 hours, with your involvement exceeding that of any other person involved in the rental.Please note there are actually 7 ways to qualify, the above two are the most common.

Bigger Pockets Podcast #82 guest 

If you can find local deals (within 2 hours of where you live) that make sense, they can be gold mines. 2 hours seems to be the max that most people would drive if you HAD to do your own showings or move-in prep and local management proves unreliable.

This includes (but not limited to):-Quiet Hours-What spaces can and cannot be used-Guest policy (make sure to limit days in a row and in a month)-Pet policy (even if you don't allow pets, if someone has an ESA animal, it would be good to have guidelines in the event they surprise you with one, otherwise you are SOL and of course take into consideration fair housing laws)-How is trash put in the cans (in bags, not just thrown in) and when can trash cans be taken to the street and put back-How is the late free structured (one time flat fee or a daily fee)2.

I draft it with my terms and send it to the guest to e-sign.

DEFAULTS Tenant will be in default if: (A) the Tenant don’t timely pay rent or other fees and charges they owe; (B) Tenant or any guest or occupant violates this Lease, property rules, or fire, safety, health, or criminal laws, regardless of whether or where arrest or conviction occurs; (C) Tenant abandon the property; ....When Tenant is in default, the Landlord has the option to declare the entire balance (all outstanding balances including but not limited to invoices, rent, cost due to damages/abandoning the property) payable hereunder to be immediately due and payable; the Landlord may exercise any and all rights and remedies available to Landlord at law or in equity and may immediately terminate this Agreement.XVI.

Eg if the bedrooms are all upstairs and the only bathroom is on the on the same level, then adding a half bath to the main floor would be handy as guests wouldn't have to go upstairs to use it.

They’re now focused on unique properties with appealing natural amenities, like waterfronts or downtown areas, in growing locations that will consistently attract guests.

For example, A-class areas might become oversaturated with rentals or experience events that reclassify them as B or even C-class, while areas previously considered as C can rise to B or A status through new investments and revitalizations.Thus, the choice between prioritizing equity or cash flow isn't always clear-cut.For novice investors, I typically recommend starting with A/B areas due to their relative stability and lower risk, which makes them safer but often with less upside potential.

I’ve been too 1% guest favorite in Airbnb (super host too) but that definitely doesn’t help my VRBO ranking.