We're getting a lot of interest from people wanting to use Airbnb as an investment. Here's how we're doing it.
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Have you heard of people using Airbnb as an investment? We've had a lot of contacts recently with people asking about this, and we're even beta testing two properties right now strictly for Airbnb as an investment here in Philadelphia.
There are three main issues to be aware of when you consider this kind of investment:
- Location and zoning: The property must be somewhere with zoning that allows short-term rentals. Philadelphia has a semi-archaic zoning code, but we know the areas where you can and can't do Airbnb here. Many people use Airbnb in areas that aren’t allowed because the city doesn't have the manpower to enforce the zoning laws, but we want this to be a sound investment that we’re executing legally.
- There needs to be a management company in place to take care of everything: With the two properties we're currently beta testing, my clients have never received a phone call about anything. It's all taken care of for them. They charge a lot of money, but because the revenue is so high, it more than covers it. Both properties currently have a very nice cash flow that's much better than they were getting as standard rentals.
- The exit strategy: Like with all investments, I like there to be two exit strategies. We want to buy a property in an area with enough appreciation that if we have to sell it quickly, you won't have to take too much of a haircut on closing costs. The second strategy would be to rent the property long term. You'd make considerably less income, but if you need to stop with Airbnb for some reason, you want to be in an area where traditional long-term rent will cover the cost of the asset. That's where our expertise comes in.
