Arizona Aprtment

[Donnia0]

Hello and good morning,

 I am looking for apartment to rent so I can list it  on airbnb. I will not be living there, but I am wondering how I should ask the managment what I am planning to do before signing anything. Is thier a certin way of letting them know or a templet that I should print out that says that I would like to use the unit for airbnb.

Thank you for any and all suggestions.

[Stephanie365]

It depends on if the apartment owner allows tenants to sublet. Because of the potential property damage from a guest that you would ultimately be responsible for, I'm not sure renting a space to AirBNB it is a financially good idea.  You would still need to carry renters insurance, pay the lease fee, utilities, etc. 

Is there high demand in the area of the apartment? Check other AirBNB listings to see if their calendars are full and what their rates are. After you pay rent and utilities and insurance, provide furnishings, cleaning, etc., is there enough meat on the bone?

Are you looking for short term (days or weeks) or long term occupants? 

[Donnia0]

Thank you for your advice.

[Kevin-And-Crystal0]

You must be upfront with your intensions.   I would imagine if you violate any condition of a lease by sub-letting as short term-for profit, you might find yourself in court being sued. Some might consider it a kind of fraud.  Make sure if they allow it, its in the lease and you are protected.  Some cities have also passed zoning that prevents it being done like this, so check with your city zoning codes too. 

[Sarah977]

@Donnia0 As a homeowner, I can tell you that I would never let anyone rent my house and then turn around and list it on a booking site. And if I found out they were doing it without my knowledge, I would be livid and evict them immediately. Tenants (that would be you in this case) have no financial stake in a home they don't own. What if the airbnb guests break the washing machine- are you going to be okay with paying for the repairs, or buying a new machine? They plug up the toilet, you going to call the plumber and pay out of your pocket, or you going to call the landlord and say the toilet needs repair and expect him to fix it? 

Perhaps you're a very responsible person and would, in fact, take on those costs yourself and you seem responsible just by the fact that you asked here about how to present it to a homeowner. But it's really a lot to ask that a homeowner not only trust you to look after the place if you are living in it, but to trust that you would be knowledgeable about knowing how to vet airbnb guests and deal with any damage they cause.

You may be able to find landlords who would be okay with this, I can only speak for myself.