4 beds 1.5 baths doesn't work for AirBnB?

Question

Hi -

I'm evaluating whether to convert a long term rental to a short term rental (STR). One STR property manager with a lot of experince said a house with 4 beds 1.5 baths wouldn't work. She suggests I add a bathroom. I don't want to spend that money so my decision is go or no go with the 4 beds 1.5 baths? I haven't heard this advice anywhere else so would like some additional opinions.

Thank you,

Steve

Julie McCoy · Answer

@Steven Line What I think the PM was saying is a 4/1.5 is going to be harder to market if it's up against 4 bedroom properties with 2.5, 3, or 4 bathrooms. It's not that it would never rent, but it starts off with something to overcome. Think about it: if you were traveling with your family/group of 8, would you want to share one and a half bathrooms?

Just take that into consideration when deciding if STR is right for that property/if you want to go through the hassle of launching it and it possibly not performing as well as you anticipated.

Michael Baum · Answer

Hey @Steven Line, have you checked on the nightly rate of places near your home? That will give you a baseline.

Also, have you looked at adding a second bath? How hard would it be? Is the current bath in the main part of the house or part of a master suite?

Luke Carl · Answer

@Steven Line I would never call that property manager again because clearly they have no idea what they’re talking about. You can rent a zero bathroom home with a hole in the backyard and a half a roll of TP if you market it correctly on Airbnb.

Myka Artis · Answer

@Steven Line A 4 bed/1.5 bath will work as an STR but they aren't as desirable as a 4/2 or 3/2. I have a few STR's that are 3/1.5 and they work great but as soon as I started putting my 4/2's & 3/2's in the same market those get rented faster and for longer periods of time. The realtor should have said they aren't as desirable but they will still work and you can still crush it as an STR. Good luck on your investing.

Valerie Rogers · Answer

If that was my property/location I think I would convert the 4th bedroom (that you have to go through the kitchen and down a hall to get to a bathroom) into some other kind of a room besides a bedroom. Make your house a 3 BR/1.5 bath home with a bonus game room, ping-pong table room, man-cave, theater room.....you get the idea. Reduce the number of people staying in the house (easier wear & tear) and less fighting for bathroom

Steven Line · Answer

Just saw this post I made over a year ago. To follow up, I've been live with this property as a STR for over a year. It's been rented every single weekend since going live and I am a superhost based on reviews from this property. The answer to my original question is that a 4 bed 1.5 bath is just fine.

Michael Baum · Answer

Ok @Steven Line, so what makes you think this would be a good STR? It doesn't sound like a vacation spot. Are you planning for some kind of corporate rental or maybe there is an industry nearby that can pull some folks for shorter stays?

It sounds like this is a decent long term rental, but not every place can be turned into a profitable short term rental. I think you would be better off buying a dedicated vacation home for STR. Maybe in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg/Seiverville area.

Ralph Poirier · Answer

I agree with Julie.  What are the configurations of rentals near your property?  If the 4 bedrooms all have 2 or 3 full bathrooms you are either going to have to discount your property significantly or it will be the last house selected.

Mark Huneycutt · Answer

@Steven Line

HA, I agree with Lucas. That 4 bed 1.5 bath sounds way better than the 1 bed 1 bath I stayed in at the beach that had a kitchen with no sink!! We had to wash our bowls in the bathroom sink. I bet your kitchen has a sink :)

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

^^^ What he said. If you have a great house with a GREAT LOCATION, you can rent anything, just price it accordingly. DO NOT add another bathroom, there goes your ROI for a while. I find STRs to be way more easy to rent than long terms. Weekenders love 'quirky', but quirky quickly turns into weird after a couple months.... :-)

PS - Fire your PM

4 beds 1.5 baths doesn't work for AirBnB?

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