Is there a demand for locals working from home seeking day stay office?

[Patti4]

My long-standing super-hosted guest suite in my home is located in upstate NY, where the state is currently on “PAUSE” — everything except essential business is closed. But hotels and other accommodations ARE deemed essential. This region may or may not reopen slowly for tourism over the next few weeks/months. But my concern is I’m over 60 and at-risk health wise so I have to be extremely careful. The space is separate, self-check in, and I can achieve maximum social distancing and precautions per infection. So, rather than remain closed all summer and take a huge $ loss, I’m considering renting to solo guests who want  longer term for “Day Stays”. The ideal guest would be local, and not stay overnight; they’d use the space for work or studio, a retreat from home where maybe a spouse is also working remote and kids are going crazy. Maybe they want to self-isolate (but not quarantine!). I would disqualify anyone for the usual red flags (recent air travel, illness, Covid contact, etc). Has anyone tried this? Is there a demand for it? How would you adjust listing title and description to attract this kind of guest? Obviously you’d lower price. How would you do market research? Suggestions appreciated.

[Melodie-And-John0]

Hello @Patti4 ,  Im your Neighbor upstater,  just a bit north east of you not far from Oneida.  Your in better shape than most having separate spaces to rent that aren't part of your living space.  I believe upstate has a much better chance of opening safely if you follow best practices strictly, in your case.  Very distant greeting wearing an N95 respirator (Cheap <$10) and putting a 72 hour buffer between bookings could make sure your not exposed to viruses during visits and cleanouts, its doesnt survive long when its not on a host 24 hours).  

Thats an interesting proposition you have, thrown out there.  I havent heard of that on this platform before but its not out of the question especially in your area, Ithaca definitely has a very different demographic that might find that option very desirable. Not trying to take money out of Airbnb's coffers but I just wonder if you would have a better chance doing that directly listing it in local chat and craiglist type boards or through a local real estate agent.  I wish you well, JR

[Kingsley17]

@Patti4 I think that there will be an increased need for a day stay office or shared work from home co-working space.  The most successful platform that I have heard of is called Footshake.com and many airbnb hosts have already started listing their home on that site.

[Ann783]

.@Patti4 have you considered rebranding as a writing studio? A lot of the studios downstate are closed indefinitely and poets, writers, journalists - especially those with children not in school - need a quiet workspace. Having a kitchen or kitchenette would be a plus, so coffee and snacks could be available.

[Patti4]

@Ann783 Thank you for the great suggestion. My place would work for that!

[Dimitar27]

I think you should wait at least 1-2 months before opening your home for guests again.

[Helen3]

Where I am from (the UK) you would need to have appropriate planning permission to have somewhere operate as a commercial premises for people who are working. 

Would a long term let say six months or so, not be a safer option for you than having multiple sets of people coming in and out on short term lets @Patti4 

I hope when your city comes out of lockdown, you will be able to find a way of generating income from your property in a way that works best for you that keeps you and your community safe.

[Patti4]

@Helen3 and @Dimitar27 I am in New York State, USA, about 250 miles north of New York City. We are not on lockdown, but all businesses are closed except essentials. Hotels and accommodations are open. We are allowed to go out but not in groups and we must wear masks. Many people are working from home via web-based platforms. My space is usually a short-stay Airbnb but obviously not possible now, although legally allowed. Not safe! I would wait until June, see how things are going. The space is completely separate and I hope someone long term would use it not as an apartment but only as a workspace or writing studio. Thanks for your help!