If you have been thinking about renting out tiny houses on Airbnb or another channel, you are not alone! A lot of people are taking advantage of the short-term rental market by listing their tiny houses on Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and more.
Managing a tiny house airbnb investment can be a lot of work, but we are here to help make it easier. In this blog post, we will give you some tips for how to manage your tiny house as a short-term rental and make sure your guests have a great experience!
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels.Start your free trial today!
Table of Contents
1
What is a Tiny House?
2
Why Make a Tiny House Airbnb Investment?
Tiny houses are more sustainable
You will spend less money on utilities
3
How to Successfully Manage a Tiny House Airbnb Investment
Register your tiny house with the local government
Ensure that your tiny home is up to local building and zoning codes
Research what other successful tiny house hosts have done
Get insurance for your tiny house
Provide a thorough description of the home.
Keep the space exceptionally clean
4
Automate Your Tiny House with Host Tools
5
Final Thoughts
What is a Tiny House?
A tiny house is a small, mobile home that is typically less than 500 square feet. They are becoming increasingly popular as people look for alternative housing options that are more affordable and sustainable. Tiny houses can be used as full-time homes, but they are also becoming extremely popular as short-term rentals.
Why Make a Tiny House Airbnb Investment?
Tiny houses are more sustainable
Travelers are becoming increasingly more interested in using accommodations that embrace sustainability. Tiny homes are significantly more eco-friendly than traditional homes.
Tiny houses use far fewer resources and produce less waste. They can be built using a variety of mediums, including recycled materials.
This makes them a very green option, both in terms of their construction and their operation. Be sure to include that your tiny house is eco-friendly on your property’s listing!
You will spend less money on utilities
Renting a tiny house can help reduce your overall monthly hosting expenses. For example, if you list a tiny house, you can expect to pay significantly less for utilities than you would if you were hosting a traditional home.
This is because tiny houses are specifically designed to be energy-efficient and eco-friendly. You can easily add cost-saving elements like solar panels and rain barrels.
Additionally, you can develop a tiny home with excellent airflow, reducing air conditioning and heating costs. By opting for a tiny house rental, you can help save the environment while also saving money on your monthly expenses.
How to Successfully Manage a Tiny House Airbnb Investment
Register your tiny house with the local government
In order to rent out your tiny house as a short-term rental, you'll need to register it with the local government. This process may vary depending on where you live, so be sure to check with your local officials for specific instructions.
See Related:How to Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy for a Short-Term Rental
Ensure that your tiny home is up to local building and zoning codes
If you are building your tiny home, you will need to pay careful attention to the local rules and regulations surrounding tiny homes. Since tiny homes are still relatively new to the market, there is not much uniformity between states. It is important to talk with local officials before breaking ground on your home.
Contrastingly, acquiring expansion permits for existing tiny homes is extremely easy compared to traditional homes due to their unique nature.
See Related:What Is the Transient Occupancy Tax?
Research what other successful tiny house hosts have done
One great way to start hosting a tiny home is by looking at other successful tiny house hosts for inspiration. There are a lot of different designs out there, so you should be able to find one that fits your needs and preferences.
However, it is important to remember that not every tiny house is perfect for everyone. You may need to make some modifications or completely redesign the house to make it work for your guests. That's okay – as long as you do your research and plan everything out in advance, you should be able to build or purchase a tiny home that is perfect for your hosting needs.
One thing to keep in mind when researching tiny homes is that there are different types of tiny homes. For example, there are mini homes, which are typically around 200 square feet or less, and then there are micro-homes, which are typically under 500 square feet. You can also explore other nontraditional modes of hosting, such as glamping.
Get insurance for your tiny house
It's also important to get short-term rental insurance for your tiny house. This will protect you in case of any damages or liability issues that occur during a rental period. You can typically get tiny house insurance through your homeowners' insurance policy or through a separate insurer.
See Related:AirCover Airbnb – The New Protection and Insurance Plan for Hosts
Provide a thorough description of the home.
Once you have registered your tiny house, you will need to create a well-prepared listing on your chosen listing channels. Be sure to include clear photos and detailed descriptions of your space so that guests know what to expect when they arrive. Since your guests are arriving at a non-traditional home, it is important that they have read thorough details and seen quality photos to know what type of space they have booked.
Keep the space exceptionally clean
One of the most important things you can do as a tiny house host is to keep the space clean. Since tiny homes are so small, it is much easier for them to get cluttered and/or dirtier than traditional homes. Therefore, it is imperative that your cleaning crew is timely and provides a thorough service.
Automate Your Tiny House with Host Tools
As we discussed, hosting a tiny house comes with specific sets of challenges. However, you can automate much of your hosting responsibilities in the same way you would automate your traditional short-term rental.
Upon integrating your listing with Host Tools, you gain access to numerous message templates that you can easily automate between guests and cleaners. Plus, you will have smart lock integration and multi-channel calendar synchronization to prevent double bookings and easily manage your listing across multiple channels.
Final Thoughts
The tiny house movement is growing in popularity, and for good reason – tiny houses are a great way to downsize without giving up on all the amenities of traditional living. If you're interested in becoming a tiny house host, be sure to:
- Research your local zoning laws and building codes
- Analyze what other successful tiny house hosts have done.
- Purchase specific short-term rental insurance for tiny homes
- Provide a thorough and accurate listing description (with great photos!)
- Automate a cleaning schedule
- Integrate your tiny house with Host Tools
With Host Tools, automating many of the hosting tasks that come with a tiny house Airbnb investment is easy. So dive in and start hosting today!
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
