AirBnb

What: rent out a spare room, guest house or vacation home.

Commissions & Fees: 3%

Husl $core: $$$$$

Where: National

Review: AirBnB is a leader in providing peer-to-peer vacation rentals by hosting a great website, which has thousands of listings all over the world, and by charging a modest 3% commission on rentals. The site also offers liability and property damage insurance that covers your house in case a guest gets hurt or damages your property. A recent survey by student lender, Earnest, estimated that the average AirBnB host earned $924 per month and roughly one-quarter of AirBnb hosts earned more than $1,000 a month — significantly more than any of the eight other side hustle opportunities they studied. Better yet, outside of keeping your house clean and finding a way to get your guests a key, it doesn’t require much hourly labor.

That said, sharing your house with strangers can have a downside — from sketchy visitors to people damaging your stuff. Some hosts complain that AirBnb’s customer service can be downright surly. For the dark side of becoming an AirBnB host, check out the AirBnb Hell link below. The horror stories shouldn’t dissuade you, particularly if you have unused space and need the money. But consider them parables that can help you set up your rental in a way that may help sidestep some of the pitfalls.

Although there are numerous other sites that offer to rent your home or a portion of it, this is our highest-rated opportunity for short-term rentals. However, if you think you’d want to have a permanent renter, make sure to check out SilverNest.