Resuming my post with Airbnb

[Trudi6]

I used to rent out one room in my house through Airbnb, but have stopped because of the confusion with the new rules and regulations.  I believe I am qualified, but I do know that

1) I have to register with the City

2) I have to obtain a business license

Could someone provide me a step by step instructions as to how to go about this and is this a good time to start?

Also, I do my own taxes and was wondering how much more complicated doing my taxes will be or what would be required if I have 1 or 2 rentals per year.

Thank you

Trudi N.

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

It would be nice to have someone hold our hand and walk us through the process, but being a business owner (and adult for that matter) means we have to do our own research and leg-work to make ourselves compliant.  I'll give you a bit of a starting point - you'll want to contact the San Francisco Office of Short-Term Rentals.  There is lots of information on their website or you can make an appointment to visit their office and talk to someone in person.

As for taxes, if you are only renting a couple times a year, it should be pretty straight forward.  You will claim all your Airbnb income and pay Federal and CA State (and possible local/city) taxes on that income.  Best to always contact a CPA, though, to ensure compliance - the last thing you want is to be audited by the IRS.

[Helen3]

Hi @Trudi6

BnB's help section is always a good starting point. For example if you type in San Fransico it provides you with the information you are looking for.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/871/san-francisco--ca