When Airbnb and other OTAs first came out, it was most commonly used as a short one or two night stay when visiting a new location. In the years that have passed, many Short Term Rental businesses have revolutionized this market by offering villas, and many other experiences on the platform. Since the way we currently rent out Airbnbs, VRBOs and other short let experiences has changed in the past year, it is imperative that we figure out how to deal with the next revolution, and it just might be longer stays. In some areas, some property owners are not allowed to offer short let stays under 28 days, removing the ‘short’ from the short let stay. So what does this mean for those of you being pressured into converting into longer term stays, and what does this mean for the tenants that are currently staying?
Converting to long stays
Enso Connect has been hosting regular twice weekly Clubhouse sessions on our Airbnb on Autopilot Club where we have the opportunity to discuss with other property managers, hosts, and guests alike about what areas they are currently struggling with. One of our guests had mentioned that some of their guests are wanting to stay longer than the 28 days, and were looking to go for months at a time. Now although this may seem like a godsend — having your place fully booked for a considerable number of months — it can actually prove to be a bigger headache than you think.
When you start extending the number of days stayed, depending on the number, the guest may end up receiving tenant rights. In which case, if you want them to leave, it becomes a much greater issue. One way around this is simply cancelling the booking every 28 days and having that same guest book again, and again. This way they are still able to rent with you, but won’t incur the uncomfortable aspects of tenant rights. Tenant rights, and the circumstances in which they become active, are dependent on where you live.
For guests, it is almost exactly like business as usual, minus them having to rebook every 28 days, which if they’re actually a good guest, they won’t mind. If they are trying to become a tenant, then proposing a tenancy agreement may be your next step.
If you are having troubles with this issue, and are still unsure about what to do, feel free to reach out to us at contact@ensoconnect.com
