HOAs and the Rise of Airbnbs
In case you’ve been living under a rock, there’s a new alternative to traditional hotels and motels. It’s called an airbnb, and it’s catching on like no one could ever have predicted.
In essence, someone who owns a property and is not using it – e.g., they’re on vacation or away at a business conference – can rent it out to someone else who’s looking to visit the location for a short period. Despite some hiccups and a few safety concerns, airbnbs have been a rousing success.
But what if you own a condo and your neighbor is renting their space through airbnb on a regular basis? Or what about your neighbors if it’s you?
First things first, whoever is doing the renting must first check the bylaws and association rules to make sure it’s allowed in the first place. If it is, there are a few things to do before strangers start arriving.
A discussion should be had with the homeowners’ association regarding the number of people, frequency, and duration of the stays. This same discussion should take place with neighbors so that expectations can be both set and met.
As host, you should have a set of rules in mind so that the intrusion isn’t considered excessive or disruptive. Limit the number of people staying in your unit at any one time. Share the building rules and regulations with guests. And have contact information available so that guests know who to contact if something goes wrong.
With the continuing popularity of airbnbs, condo associations are going to have to deal with them sooner rather than later. But with a little common sense and courtesy, it shouldn’t impact condo owners very much, if at all.
Pilera is a best-of-class, easy-to-use, comprehensive online property management solution for apartments, condos, and associations. Pilera provides the easiest, most comprehensive data management capability available to property managers, leasing agents, boards of directors, and back-office personnel. Quickly and easily access whatever you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you need to be with office or mobile phone connectivity. You are never out of touch. Act on the document/information accessed from the office or “on-the-road” with Pilera-supported mobile capability. Contact us today!
