Should I Expect Unhappy STR Neighbors?

Question

I’m planning on house hacking and considering short term renting out rooms. However, I’m nervous doing this bc I know some people dislike the idea of living near a STR. I don’t anticipate noise / disturbance issues, but I know some are just against the idea of a “constant stream of strangers” in their community.

Because of this, in choosing a property to house hack, I’ve been looking at places like corner lots, semi secluded lots, and condos/townhomes with backyard entry (as opposed to having guests come in through the front door) bc I figure these sort of set ups will mitigate neighbors having to SEE STR guests as much. But bc I’ve been putting so much thought into this, I’m wondering if this is even helpful for me to be considering. For context, my plan is to convert the place into a MTR for traveling professionals when I move out so it would only be a STR for about a year.

Some questions:

* Are my fears of unhappy neighbors warranted? Has this even been people’s experience? I’m more sensitive to this being an issue since I’d be house hacking, and will likely be interacting with neighbors on a daily basis.

* Any tips for choosing a STR property layout that is "neighbor friendly?" Or anything you've done to make sure you maintain happy neighbors at your STR, apart from screening for good guests?

* Do you find that condo/townhome or SF neighbors are more receptive to STRs (assuming you’re not violating any CC&Rs)?

TIA! I feel like I’m overthinking this, but I would love insight from those who have experience.

John Underwood · Answer

Wow STR renting rooms, going back to Airbnb roots. That sounds like potential for drama to me that I don't need.

I only rent whole houses. I have 4 empty rooms upstairs in my house and I don't want strangers in my house that I haven't fully vetted.

Collin Hays · Answer

I don’t think you’re overthinking it at all. You are wise to check local code regarding STRs.  Even if code does not specifically prohibit STRs and “house hacking”, be prepared for blowback from the neighbors.  Most folks in an area intended for single family residences aren’t real excited about a hotel popping up next door, for a lot of reasons.

I might suggest a condominium situation where you could operate in more autonomy and your neighbors wouldn’t notice as much.

Tiffanie Figueroa · Answer

Those are warranted concerns. Things you may want to consider:

Privacy fence in the backyard

Enough parking in the driveway or street for the amount of guests you plan on sleeping

Installing a noise monitoring device (this is mandatory in all STR our brokerage manages) it lets us know if there is a noise problem BEFORE a neighbor complains. My team specializes in STR in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Let me know if we can help 😊

Jared Hottle · Answer

I think if it is legally possible in housing ordinances and HOA then go for it. You can always worry about things that never come to fruition in this complex world we live in. If neighbors start complaining be open with communication to figure out what exactly the problem is and try to accommodate  but above all I think going for it is a big step.

Eliott Elias · Answer

Be transparent and as nice to them as possible. They can shut down your operation

Michael Baum · Answer

Hey @Aanu Jibodu, good idea to be upfront with everyone. Can you tell us where you are considering? It will be helpful to know. I can do some mining on it for you.

The bottom line, if you are respectful of your neighbors, things will be OK. Frankly I think you will have less of a problem renting individual rooms. You are less likely to get parties or guests who will be romping around the neighborhood. Most of the time you will get couples visiting the area, someone traveling through who needs a quick stay etc.

Sergey A. Petrov · Answer

What @Nathan Fisher said. Additionally, be sure to vet the HOA if buying into one. Those 300+ pages of disclosures you get once you are under contract should be carefully reviewed. Lastly, the vast majority of associations do not allow room rentals. So an STR might be permitted but you must rent the entire unit, not room by room

Jordan Moorhead · Answer

@Aanu Jibodu I've never had any complaints doing this in my househacks. I've also made sure to be very careful to not allow parties.

Sergey A. Petrov · Answer

Typically, your offer is subject to the HOA review. That's when you get the full set of docs and disclosures. If you plan on renting, especially short term, it wouldn't hurt to have your agent call the seller's agent to see if they have the docs beforehand and what the rental regulations looks like. A quick easy prescreen to save everybody the time and hassle putting in offers only to cancel the purchase if the rental provisions are too restrictive.

Should I Expect Unhappy STR Neighbors?

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