Pittsburgh for Air B&B

[Lacee Beitler]

Hi everyone! Looking for my Pittsburgh investors who have airbnb rentals. Anyone want to share their experiences? We have a great unit that we are considering turning into an Airbnb once our tenants lease is up later this year. Im just curious how well these do, and what "markets" do well (I'm assuming anything close to/in downtown). Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks!

[Dan Mason]

I've recently had some success with AirBnB, and I've learned a few things... First, you really need to be 5 or 10 minutes from downtown, the stadiums, oakland, or southside for you to achieve a low vacancy rate.  I've noticed AirBnB becoming more and more saturated lately so if you are not close it probably is not worth it.  You also need to set the property up for AirBnB so you need to invest in furniture as well as things you may not have considered like pots and pans should the renters want to cook.  I installed a code lock for the house and key locks for each individual bedroom. It's also a good idea to have something that will differentiate you like a big screen TV or home gym.  Finally, your first few months you will probably lose money.  You will have to set your rate very low and you will have very low occupancy until you build up your ratings.