House Hacking with Basement Airbnb in Old Town Alexandria

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House Hacking with Basement Airbnb in Old Town Alexandria

David Cherkowsky
Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2023 · 92 posts · 52 votes

Hi all, I am considering the following strategy for a house hack in Old Town Alexandria. I am looking for a property with a walkout basement and I would rent out the basement as a STR. From what I've read on BP, the city of Alexandria seems to be friendly towards STRs

I would then also potentially rent out one of the upstairs bedrooms as a MTR or LTR. I’m interested to hear if anyone else has used this strategy in Alexandria. I also have some general questions:

1. Besides registering with the city, are there any other steps required to setup as a STR/Airbnb host in Alexandria?

2. Any lessons learned from STRs in Old Town or the DMV?

3. How accurate are websites like Airdna? I like the idea of STR as it seems like it can generate significantly more income than LTR and would allow me to block out dates if I have friends or family come visit. I can imagine it is considerably more work as well as I plan to manage myself. I'm trying to get a feel for how much more income it would generate compared to LTR or MTR.

4. Any podcast or blog recommendations for DMV STRs or general STRs?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice!

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Russell BrazilBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
1y

Yup City of Alexandria, not to be confused with Alexandria Fairfax County, is pretty much the only place you can STR in the metro are without restrictions. Mid term rentals allowed too. Just need to stat under the occupancy limit.

Also keep in mind basement needs to be livable square footage, ie have egress and proper ceiling height. 

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  • Tim DelaneyPro Member
    Buffalo, NY · Member since 2018 · 790 posts · 530 votes
    1y

    Sounds like a great strategy David. STRs generally produce more income than LTRs, but they are more work. As for Alexandria specifically in terms of regulations don't take advice from a public forum - look up the laws yourself and make sure you understand them. Also look into whether the city has already set up regulations around STR or whether there are potential changes coming down the line.

    Short Term Rental Management with Luke Carl is a good podcast for learning about management.

    Podcast Guest on Show How to Buy Yourself a 6-Figure Income Stream
    1Reply
  • David Cherkowsky
    OP
    Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2023 · 92 posts · 52 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Tim Delaney:

    Sounds like a great strategy David. STRs generally produce more income than LTRs, but they are more work. As for Alexandria specifically in terms of regulations don't take advice from a public forum - look up the laws yourself and make sure you understand them. Also look into whether the city has already set up regulations around STR or whether there are potential changes coming down the line.

    Short Term Rental Management with Luke Carl is a good podcast for learning about management.


     Thanks for the advice and recommendations Tim!

    1Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    1y

    Yup City of Alexandria, not to be confused with Alexandria Fairfax County, is pretty much the only place you can STR in the metro are without restrictions. Mid term rentals allowed too. Just need to stat under the occupancy limit.

    Also keep in mind basement needs to be livable square footage, ie have egress and proper ceiling height. 

    [email protected]301-893-4635Podcast Guest on Show #192
    District Invest Group545 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    3Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1y

    Hey @David Cherkowsky so get with the city and get all the regs but mostly find out about what is required for a basement dwelling.

    Like @Russell Brazil said there are general things that need to be in place.

    One that stings a lot of people is the main entrance door. Most municipalities require it to be a 36" door. Many basement access doors are not 36" wide depending on the age of the property.

    1Reply
  • David Cherkowsky
    OP
    Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2023 · 92 posts · 52 votes
    1y

    @Russell Brazil and @Michael Baum

    Thank you both for the suggestions. I was aware of the egress requirement, but was not considering the door size or ceiling heights. I sent an email to the city and received a long response. The bullet in the response that is standing out to me is:

    "(7) The accessory dwelling shall not be a short-term residential rental, as defined by City Code section 3-2-152(a)(2), for a period exceeding 120 days per calendar year."

    It seems like that really hinders Airbnbing any ADUs in the city. I guess a combo of STR and MTR would be an option.

    0Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    1y
    Quote from @David Cherkowsky:

    @Russell Brazil and @Michael Baum

    Thank you both for the suggestions. I was aware of the egress requirement, but was not considering the door size or ceiling heights. I sent an email to the city and received a long response. The bullet in the response that is standing out to me is:

    "(7) The accessory dwelling shall not be a short-term residential rental, as defined by City Code section 3-2-152(a)(2), for a period exceeding 120 days per calendar year."

    It seems like that really hinders Airbnbing any ADUs in the city. I guess a combo of STR and MTR would be an option.

    You can STR in Alexandria. You have a limit if it is an ADU. If it's not an ADU, then you have no limit 
    [email protected]301-893-4635Podcast Guest on Show #192
    District Invest Group545 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • David Cherkowsky
    OP
    Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2023 · 92 posts · 52 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Russell Brazil:
    Quote from @David Cherkowsky:

    @Russell Brazil and @Michael Baum

    Thank you both for the suggestions. I was aware of the egress requirement, but was not considering the door size or ceiling heights. I sent an email to the city and received a long response. The bullet in the response that is standing out to me is:

    "(7) The accessory dwelling shall not be a short-term residential rental, as defined by City Code section 3-2-152(a)(2), for a period exceeding 120 days per calendar year."

    It seems like that really hinders Airbnbing any ADUs in the city. I guess a combo of STR and MTR would be an option.

    You can STR in Alexandria. You have a limit if it is an ADU. If it's not an ADU, then you have no limit 

    Makes sense. Seems like a good option is STR during peak season and MTR in other times of year. Thanks Russell.

    0Reply
  • Cassidy BurnsBusiness Member
    Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2016 · 860 posts · 460 votes
    1y


    @David Cherkowsky reach back out to us, we can help you make these decisions! 

    [email protected]540-960-1507
    1Reply
  • David Cherkowsky
    OP
    Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2023 · 92 posts · 52 votes
    1y

    Adding a response here in case anyone stumbles across this thread in the future. The differentiation between ADU and non ADU is important. A basement with a separate entrance but no kitchen is not considered an ADU, and therefore does not have the 120 day limitation.

    0Reply
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