Short term rental of apartment

September 17, 2011 12:09 PM

I have an apartment that I'm not using. Is there any way I can monetize this?

I am mostly staying with my girlfriend these days. I have a very nice one bedroom condo. I don't want to rent it out or get a permanent roommate.

It occurs to me that there should be a way to rent it out short term, like to people that want to come into town for a week or two. (Its in the heart of Hollywood.)

Anybody know a way to do this?

posted by TigerCrane to Work & Money (13 answers total)

Best answer: http://www.airbnb.com/

That was the first thing that comes to mind. I'm sure there are other services like this too.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 12:10 PM on September 17, 2011

Craigslist "housing" section has "sublets/temporary."

I don't know how respected Craigslist is in CA, but here in PA I found my apartment through Craigslist and it's exactly what I wanted.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:12 PM on September 17, 2011

You might also list it in the "offices/commercial" section of Craigslist as a place for a freelancer/telecommuter/writer/etc. to use as an office during the day. I sincerely wish there were more private residences listed for that purpose where I live.
posted by argonauta at 12:24 PM on September 17, 2011

Response by poster: I'm a little freaked about craigslist. I'd like to get some kind of vouch for the people I'm renting to.
posted by TigerCrane at 12:38 PM on September 17, 2011

If you are a renter, it is possible that it is against the terms of your lease to rent it out short term.
posted by k8t at 12:42 PM on September 17, 2011

Response by poster: I own the place.
posted by TigerCrane at 12:45 PM on September 17, 2011

Best answer: TigerCrane, maybe read this story before assuming that airbnb can vouch for its people:

http://www.metafilter.com/105990/Find-a-place-to-trash
posted by jabes at 12:50 PM on September 17, 2011 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks! Definitely a scary story. According to that link, air b&b didn't do anything for those people. I don't know if this is a new policy, but they seem to offer an insurance garuntee now.

http://www.airbnb.com/guarantee
posted by TigerCrane at 1:05 PM on September 17, 2011

Oh, cool! Most of those safety guarantees were launched a month ago. Wonder what prompted them do that? :)
posted by jabes at 1:14 PM on September 17, 2011

Vacation Rental By Owner is something else to look into, although I can't vouch for it and haven't used it.
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:19 PM on September 17, 2011

Get employment and landlord references, and check them. Meet and ID the guests on arrival.
posted by theora55 at 2:28 PM on September 17, 2011

Here in NY, most condo buildings would not allow or want an owner to rent out the apartment like a hotel room. If that's what you want to do, you should try to find out if your condo allows it or if any neighbors have gotten away with it. Craigslist is where you would most likely find people. I would always run a credit/background check and if it's a period of weeks, payment upfront.
posted by knoyers at 7:13 PM on September 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I know I am in the market for a bed-room in NYC that I can use for short periods of time. Air-BNB might be a solution but perhaps you can check with friends that can help you out. A friend of mine has an extra bedroom and charges me a small fee as long as I tell him a week in advance.
posted by The1andonly at 8:23 AM on September 18, 2011