Have a room to rent on a nightly basis? You can rent a room to tourists through dozens of sites. And some of these sites are highly attractive for people who have rental homes in desirable tourist locations, such as beach cities, ski resorts and hot tourist destinations, such as Cape Cod.
However, when it comes to renting a single room in your house on a short-term basis, there’s no better option than the industry giant, Airbnb.
Airbnb
With tens of millions of site visitors every month and rentals all over the world, Airbnb is arguably the first choice for renters everywhere. And that means that you’re far more likely to find tenants on this site than anywhere else.
For hosts, the other advantage of Airbnb is that site fees are mostly paid by guests. Hosts typically pay just a 3% commission on rentals. Renters pay the rest of the site fees, which can be substantial.
Other sites, including RedAwning, charge homeowners 20% or more. And sites like VRBO are really geared to those who have a whole house — not a single room — for rent.
The down side to listing with Airbnb? Hosts who are willing to auto-book appear to be favored. But, auto-bookings don’t allow you to screen tenants. And that might be a risky proposition for someone who is sharing a home with these temporary renters.
Learn more about listing a room on Airbnb by reading our full review here.