Should I stay away from STRs that only have 1 bathroom?

Question

I see many properties that are 2/1 or 3/1.  Should I stay away from these and only consider purchasing properties with at least 2 baths?   the idea is that if there’s only 1 bathroom then if it clogs it’ll be a huge hassle for the tenants and for me the owner.  Thoughts?

V.G Jason · Answer

Only a 2/1. Avoid 3/1 or deeper bedroom:bathroom ratios. IF you're in a HCOL area or HCOL region in a normal area, definitely add a bathroom it's a huge appraisal add and game changer. 10-15 years from now when you sell, nobody wants a 3/1 now and won't then. 3/1s stay sticky in any market I'm in, I'll buy distressed and add 1-2 bathrooms and get a huge return on just that.

Don't value the house just for STR purposes, value it as the asset it is. How you market it is how you market it.

John Underwood · Answer

I put in the Champion toilet that flushes 8 golf balls.

My.kids used to stop up the upstairs toilet till I put in one of these. They never clogged this bad boy.

Smaller house should be ok with one bathroom, but I would want a bigger house.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

There you go ^^^And remember, STR speaking, that there is a value for 2/1's or even 1/1's. A lot of couples traveling on their own would much rather have a smaller place, but really nice. If you get a 2/1 for instance, don't worry so much about the single bath, (most hotels/motels ahve 1 bath, right?)...instead spend money on better amenities. This is thinking with your STR hat on.But as VG Jason says, if you think about the property simply as an Asset, then you will want to add another bath...

Garrett Brown · Answer

The market and stay are really important. I'll echo everyone's sentiments and say 2/1 ok..3/1 not as much. 3/2 is always desirable for short or long term.

Andrew Steffens · Answer

IMO it depends on thee market, but a 3/2 is always more desirable.  Most of our 3 bedroom 2 baths fit 10-12 people comfortably.  I would cap occupancy at 8 if there were only 1 bathroom.  That occupancy difference will likely lead to lower ADR and/or lower occupancy rate, affecting ROI potentially.

Annie Seurer · Answer

I'd focus on number of bedrooms and where there is a gap in the market. Market saturated with 3 or 4 bedrooms, a 2 bedroom may be ideal.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

You can get by with just one, but 2+ is certainly attractive to renters, particularly short-term guests.

Jon Martin · Answer

Not an issue. I have a 1 bath property and it does great, although it is a 2 bedroom. With 3 bedrooms it's more of an issue, but people on vacation are somewhat accustomed to it.

Although if you need to exit in a down market 1 bath properties can be tougher to sell.

Mike Sebastian · Answer

Anything over two bedrooms needs two bathrooms. Guests are there to do things like hike, visit museums, go out to eat, etc. They don't want to sit & wait around for everyone to get ready. With that said, if there are only one or two bedrooms then they won't have to wait too long.

Mike Shemp · Answer

@Marc Shin

We have a 2BR/1B and a 1BR/1B and are booked year round, even during the off-season.

Should I stay away from STRs that only have 1 bathroom?

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