Tampa / St Pete / Surrounding Counties

[Sierra11]

Hello all!

I am a new host and, also, a real estate agent with Keller Williams in St Petersburg, FL. I see properties daily that I think would be ideal for Airbnb investments but I am curious what you think are the most important features of a property to make it successful.   

What has worked best for you and what are you looking for now?

Thank you for your input. If interested, I'd love to share with you the opportunites I'm seeing. Message me!

Sierra ****

[Personal information hidden for safety reasons]

[Jill295]

Location location location!

but you should know that. Close to airport, cruises, major shopping, historic sites, sports arena, etc. 

[Robin4]

@Sierra11

Hi Sierra, welcome to Airbnb as a host, I hope you have something of the success many of us here have found with Airbnb! From your time as a guest using Airbnb I think you could probably answer your own question!!

Success using Airbnb has virtually nothing to do with the property Sierra, it is the host!

Many seemingly desirable properties struggle for occupancy because the prospective guest feels uncomfortable about the host or maybe onerous house rules....something other than the property itself.

When the property of an Airbnb host changes hands the future reservations that it has accumulated do not automatically transfer to the new owner....guests are given the choice of finding alternative accommodation. The bricks and mortar are still the same, the owner/host has changed!

Month after month my booking calendar fills up....I already have 10 reservations for September and it is only the morning of the 3rd....and mine is not what would be termed a 'desirable' property! It is simply a humble converted garage in the backblocks of nowhere, and fairly ameteurishly done at that, Sierra! 

My reviews drive my bookings and I think you will find this to be universal...it's the host who reaps the benefits, not the property!

I hope you can take something from this, and good luck!

Cheers......Rob

[Sierra11]

@Robin4 I love this reply! I absolutely agree that the hosts are what make an Airbnb memorable and reviews definitely influence what I book for my own travels. 

I ask this question because I meet a lot of people interested in either incorporating an Airbnb into their home or searching out a property they believe is "ideal." So, it's really interesting to me to hear what already established hosts search for or believe is their biggest strength. Also, what specifically they would search for in an investment property if they were in the market to purchase.  @Jill295 Location is definitely what I hear most often! 

[Robin4]

@Sierra11

I would only ever suggest short term rental could be a lucrative sideline in a single owner/ occupier premises. And then only if there is not a financial committment on it that has to be serviced in the way of a mortgage.

Landlords and Property management authorities will not allow short term rental in space under their control. Insurance issues being the main barrier. As soon as the property insurer finds out that short term renting is taking place on their insured space they will either cancel their coverage policy or decline to renew it!

Heavily populated areas are coming under ever increasing pressure from governments both local and state to curb the rise in the number of short term rentals. The bylaws governing STR's  are changing daily and in some areas it is simply not equitable to short term rent any longer.

Who is going to be most successfull with an Airbnb property?

Someone who has a property they own outright in a smaller community which has a detached private facility. These are always in strong demand with STR guests and the competition for the guest pool is minimised by lack of host competition in area searches.

Once again, I hope this helps you Sierra.

Cheers.....Rob

[Barry-and-Lera0]

@Sierra11: We are in Sarasota but when looking for a home we knew we wanted something that had a guesthouse or mother-in-law suite on the property. At the time Airbnb was becoming more popular and we knew local municipalities would do their best to crack down on short-term rentals in residential areas. Being a "host-occupied rental" will give us more security with the changing landscape of local laws in regard to short term rentals. We also found that our guests are much more reserved, polite and clean with us on property. 

[Lisa1754]

Sierra,

With you being in real estate,  what AREAS in St Pete are APPROVED to rent as an AIRBNB without worring about Code Ordiance shutting you down?

I've heard some pretty crazy stories...LOL

Please advise.

Thanks in advance.

Lisa B. St. Petersburg

Interior Design/Contractor

[Sierra11]

So sorry for the delay on this Lisa! I don't think my notifications were working properly on here. 

The City of St Pete only allows 3 rentals within a 365 day period. Of course, there are many people taking a chance and operating Airbnb's within the city anyways. 

Surrounding areas...Gulfport, St Pete Beach, Pinellas Park, etc don't have such strict rental rules and are much easier to legally run an Airbnb in. I personally run one in Manatee County very easily. 

Any specific questions, please reach out! 

[Brandon337]

Hello all,

I am looking for hosting help in St. Petersburg. Let me know if anyone has a great referral!

Thank you,

Brandon

[Sierra11]

Hi Brandon! 

I refer my clients to Co-hosty. https://www.co-hosty.com/our-services

The owners name is Alexis Gable and she does an excellent job. Let her know that I referred you 

Sierra Kluson

Keller Williams Realty St Pete

[LaWanda2]

Hello Brandon, 

Do you still need hosting help?  Please reach out, maybe I can help.

LaWanda

[Amer353]

Hello everyone 

my name is AJ we are a cleaning company in the Tampa Bay Area if need services please call us at**

**[Phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Daniel8089]

How do you do more bookings than 3 a year that are less than 30 days in St. Petes legally?