it is called air b & b because it was originally throw an air mattress for some one to sleep on cheap. it has evolved a lot but no, do not put a stove. i have been where the guests share a dorm refridgerator in the hallway. some have one in a room. but beyond a clean place to sleep. towels and maybe coffee or tea in the morning everything else is not expected.

I don't support terrorism...

My former boss is running one out of his house. The bedrooms all getting redone and paid for by guests. He’s adding a bathroom to each room even. Tax write offs for all the work to boot. When he retires in a few years he will have perfect guest rooms for when his kids visit. All paid for by guests and tax write offs. Pretty smart I think.

I can't comment on hosting, but I frequently travel with a work crew & we stay in them all the time. We'll typically be out for weeks at a time, & it's much nicer to stay in an actual living space rather than 2 or 3 hotel rooms when we're out. It usually ends up cheaper for us, too.

Ok, I'm taking it all in and the Air B nB is probably something I'd do as a last resort. Like if I lost my job and a contracted roommate and needed money fast.

I respect everyone on this thread that cares what their neighbors think. Our neighbors have nightly summer concerts. It upsets my elderly mother, but I like the station... So...

Thanks for the advice.

Check your local zoni6ing, and neighborhood covenants if any. I've seen some really nasty infighting, after a new buyer got a place fixed up... and the neighbors got involved...

I did and I liked doing it. I had a huge two bedroom / two bath apartment very close to New Orleans. I met people from all over the world. Everybody that I hosted was very friendly, warm and cool. Not one person was ever dirty, messy, disrespectful or anything.

If you are not close to attractions (whether nature, hiking, or cities), I don't think it would be worth the investment. My current location is not at all in demand for it, so I don't bother.

What I Learned:

Watch the attractions in your city. Tailor your prices for weekdays, weekends, holidays, and events.

Do a two night minimum. My house and the room and bathroom were kept very clean and it's not worth all the required cleaning (bathroom, bedding laundry) for just one night. I did not charge a "cleaning fee" and wouldn't use an AirBnB that had one. To me, that's tacky. Just raise the price a bit to make up for whatever cleaning time and effort you think is reasonable.

Don't invest in a bunch of fruit, snacks, drinks, etc. -- they don't eat them. My guests had FULL use of entire apartment (including fridge and microwave) -- NOBODY ever cooked or watched TV in the living room. Very few used the refrigerator.

I had a small electric hot water maker, some Starbucks instant coffee packets, tea, cute oversized mugs, and sweetners in the bedroom on a small table so they could wake up and make coffee.

IF somebody was staying for more than a couple of nights, I would have offered the use of my washer and dryer. I definitely would not invest in one for only AirBnB use.

Choose your cancellation policy wisely. Too restrictive and you are going to turn away a lot of people. I think mine was 24 hours. Maybe 48. It's been a few years.

I had only two weird situations. One guy acted brainless when I told him where to park and it boiled down to his wanting me to hold his hand all the way to a parking spot. I was nice, but I wasn't doing that. Just pointed and explained "any spot on the entire property with white lines is open." He canceled on the spot -- and, no, he didn't get a refund.

I purposely worded my profile so that my sex was not obvious. I had one guy go through the whole process by e-mail -- questions, payment and everything. Then for some reason, on the day of arrival, we ended up on the phone to discuss logistics or something. He suddenly said "I've changed my mind. I cannot go through with this due to religious reasons." Okay, dude. No refund.

I have not hosted, but have stayed in airbnbs in the U.S, Greece and Argentina. Very positive experiences. I'm considering hosting...

Can be a very expensive involved project

I have stayed in a few and that is in general a much better experience than a hotel. They are great for groups of friends or family reunions as you can gather and have family meals without having to eat out all the time.

So you would be doing the bNb with the suite while you lived in the large house?

I was just trying to imagine a 4 bedroom not having a washer and dryer already. And you would not want to make it coin operated as I can see terrible reviews for doing something when someone is paying lots of money to stay in your house a night or two or a week.

And to your comment about beach access, HOA board members are some of the most petty people on the face of the earth.
I swear they must have been hall monitors in middle school.

I host one now and have no horror stories to report. I make a little extra money and have lowered my tax bill for 2 years because of it. At the same time I did a little redecorating. I have had some great guests and some so so guests and managed to get 5 stars from all of them. If I want to do something else on certain dates I just block off those dates and do my own thing.

I did have to go through a zoning request which cost me $285 here in Oklahoma. Before I spent the money I queried my neighbors to make sure there would be no objections.

I've heard nothing but horror stories.

Good luck if you try it.

I did and had mostly good experiences

Better check your local zoning regulations.