Has anybody Airbnb-ed half of a duplex?

[Mike Day]

I have a duplex in Indianapolis and am considering renting half of it on Airbnb--reason being, I need a place to stay when I'm in town, but would like to Airbnb it the rest of the time, while having a long-term tenant on the other side. Has anybody done this? It seems like a good idea on paper. My concern is whether the Airbnb guests tick off the long-term tenants by making noise or creating problems. If you have actual experience with this, I'd like to hear it.

Feedback?

[Scott E.]

I know some investors in my market doing this. I've seen them start with 1 unit on airbnb to test the market, and before you know it both sides are on airbnb because the margins around here are just so much better than on long term rentals.

You will need to establish some house rules for your guests. And if it's a duplex I'm guessing the unit you plan to rent out is smaller, meaning it can only fit a couple of guests. That's a good thing in this case because it will deter the larger and rowdier groups coming to town for bachelor parties/etc.