St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale | Estelia Mesimer Check all settings on WP dashboard

Remax Metro | Top Real Estate Agent in St Petersburg

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

727 686 2859

  • Home
  • Buy
    • Estelia’s Listings
    • Property Search
    • Buyers Center
    • Mortgage Center
  • Sell
    • Sellers Center
    • Home Valuation
    • Sold Properties
    • Selling Your Probate Home
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Videos & Testimonials
    • Top 5 Reasons to Call St. Petersburg Home
    • Top 5 Reasons to Choose Estelia Mesimer When Buying or Selling a Home
  • Blog
  • News Feed
    • St. Petersburg Bar Association
  • Contact

Airbnb – What You Should Know Before Buying or Renting a Property

May 2, 2017 by Sharon Fennell Kennedy | St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County Leave a Comment

If you are considering buying a property with the purpose of renting it out on a short-term nightly basis, you might want to think twice, especially if the property is governed by a homeowner or condo association.

From the host owners’ perspective, these types of online rental services offer a convenient, low-cost way to earn additional income. In their view it is almost the same as having family or friends visiting, except that money changes hands.

From the perspective of the community association, however, these arrangements look quite different. They put extra burdens on vehicle traffic, parking, trash, noise, common amenities, property management, and public services (police, fire, emergency medical response). The visitors are viewed as strangers with no ties to the community.

An article in the Tampa Bay Times (4.26.2015), titled “Pinellas Beach Towns Struggle with Illegal Home Rentals”, staff writer Mike Brassfield reports ….. residents of Pinellas County’s beach neighborhoods say they’re noticing more and more homes being illegally rented to tourists for a week at a time, or even on a nightly basis.

In response, a growing network of fed-up Clearwater Beach residents are taking matters into their own hands, banding together to monitor their own neighborhoods and feed tips to the authorities. For the first time, violators are being hit with heavy fines — a whopping $8,500 in one case.

Clearwater bans home rentals that are shorter than a month. St. Pete Beach allows homes to be rented for less than 30 days only three times a year. Madeira Beach prohibits homes from being rented for less than three months in some neighborhoods, less than six months in others.

So, what should you know before renting your property as an Airbnb?

1.  Are you allowed to list your property on Airbnb?
If your home is a rented apartment or a condominium, it is important to speak with your landlord or condo board before listing your space on Airbnb, HomeAway or VRBO. Many leases and condo agreements have complicated rules and penalties regarding sub-leasing.

2.  Do you need insurance?
Letting strangers stay in your home can open you up to serious financial and personal risk. Do not make assumptions about your coverage.

3. Play it safe with Airbnb guests.
Safety checks are in place to help avoid rental horror stories. Airbnb has a two-way review system-hosts review guests and guests review hosts. This helps you to determine whether a potential guest is one you can welcome into your home. As a host, you can create house rules so guests know what is expected of them such as no parties or pets.

Getting the facts about neighborhood and association limitations is key before blindly making an investment to rent or buy a property with the intention of using it as Airbnb. Things are never quite as easy they seem.

About the author

Sharon Fennell Kennedy is a grant writer specializing in non-profits and a real estate blogger for The Mesimer Team – REMAX/Metro in St. Petersburg, FL. She enjoys antiquing and repurposing flea market finds, yoga, walking and reading. You can connect with Sharon on www.estelia.com or www.sharon-kennedy.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECENT POSTS

Historic Neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, FL

Holding an Estate Sale before Selling a Home

Decluttering Before You Move

Historic Landmark Designations

Do Green Homes Increase Home Value?

Advantages Of Home Ownership

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Blog Categories

  • A Dog's World
  • Bayway Isles
  • Blog
  • Buying A Home
  • Coming Soon
  • Condominiums for Sale in Gulfport FL
  • Condos for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Featured Community
  • Gulfport FL Condos
  • Gulfport FL Condos for Sale
  • Homes for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Homes in St Petersburg FL
  • Interior Design
  • Lifestyle Trends
  • Listing Your Home
  • Luxury Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Luxury Waterfront Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Non-Profit Spotlight
  • Old Northeast
  • Personal Development
  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Tips & Trends
  • Remodeling
  • Selling A Home
  • Sold Listings
  • St Pete Beach Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Downtown Condos for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Condos
  • St Petersburg FL condos for sale
  • St Petersburg FL Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Luxury Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg Florida Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Florida Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Homes
  • St. Petersburg
  • Testimonial
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes for Sale
  • Tierra Verde FL Waterfront Townhomes for Sale
  • Townhomes in Tierra Verde FL
  • Video

Contact

Estelia Mesimer
150 2nd Ave N, Suite 100
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Estelia@Estelia.com
Direct: 727.686.2859

Sign Up To Receive Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 Estelia Mesimer | All Rights Reserved. realtor-equal-op

Website Development by Dan Fennell