How to Convince Your Landlord to Allow You to Airbnb Your Apartment

While you may technically be allowed to Airbnb your rental without your landlord’s permission (depending on the terms of your tenancy contract), this is a bad idea for several reasons. There are moral, legal, and financial implications to hosting someone else’s property on Airbnb without their formal consent.

For starters, it’s possible that Airbnbing the property would violate local laws related to zoning, maximum occupancy, or short-term vacation rentals. Your landlord would face repercussions if their property is discovered to be an illegal Airbnb.

It’s also likely that their homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover short-term rentals. This means that listing their place on Airbnb could leave them financially unprotected in the event that they face theft or property damage from an accident or disaster.

On the legal end, your landlord may sue you if you break the law or cost them money by subletting your place without their permission. In a moral sense, telling them in advance is how you show your respect, and it’s just the right thing to do.

The key to successfully convincing your landlord to allow you to Airbnb your apartment is to have an open and honest conversation with them where you outline the steps you’ll take to reduce associated risks and clearly state how your business venture might benefit them.

Ideally, you should pitch to your landlord in person. But if you don’t see them often or they live far away, you can send your pitch in an email. Here’s some advice on how to craft a successful pitch that gets you the results you’re after.

1. Do your research

In order to prepare a strong pitch for your landlord, you need to show that you’ve done the research and thought this out. Some jurisdictions impose restrictions on short-term rentals, and you should be aware of what you are and aren’t allowed to do.

In particular, make sure to research these points:

• Market demand: Go on Airbnb.com and check the nightly rates of similar properties in your area. Being able to definitively state how much your apartment could be earning on Airbnb will give your landlord reason to agree to your request.
• Local regulations: Make sure that you’re actually allowed to Airbnb the property. Some jurisdictions impose very strict guidelines for short-term rental properties and may require you to register with your local government.
• Airbnb’s terms and benefits: In addition to researching Airbnb’s rules, take note of Airbnb’s benefits for hosts, such as guest ID verification, $3 million in damage protection, and $1 million in liability insurance.

Make a list of essential information so that you’re going into your negotiation prepared to address your landlord’s worries and concerns and persuade them that it’s a good idea to let you list your apartment on Airbnb.

2. Start with a casual conversation

The best way to open up negotiations with your landlord about Airbnb is to test the waters with an innocent conversation. Rather than coming right out and asking your landlord if you can Airbnb your apartment, try first asking them what they think about Airbnb.

You could ask them how they feel about vacation rental sites like Airbnb and whether they’ve ever considered hosting or known anyone who has been an Airbnb host.

Taking this simple step before you start trying to persuade your landlord to let you Airbnb your rental will allow you to gauge how hard of a sell it’s going to be. They may even tell you some of the concerns they have about renting on Airbnb. This is useful information you can use to ultimately persuade them to change their mind.

3. Address your landlord’s concerns

Although you’ll be doing all the work, from preparing the space and listing the property to hosting the guests and cleaning up afterward, there are still plenty of reasons why your landlord may be hesitant about this proposal.

For one, short-term rentals have inherently higher risk than long-term rentals. Your landlord will likely be concerned about legal and liability issues, not to mention potential damage to their property. The risks may seem even higher if they’re leaving it to you to screen and vet potential guests.

Here are common landlord concerns when it comes to letting you rent your apartment on Airbnb and some solutions you can propose:

• Noise: Impose quiet hours and personally handle any complaints from neighbors.
• Risk of property damage: Offer to increase your security deposit and agree to pay for repairing or replacing any items that are damaged while you’re Airbnbing your rental.
• Insurance coverage: Purchase short-term rental insurance that can supplement the landlord’s insurance.
• Legal liability: Show your landlord that you have researched local laws and regulations and that it’ll be 100% legal to Airbnb the property.
• Increased utility usage: If utilities are included in your rent, offer to pay more to offset the higher utility costs that may arise.

If they voice other concerns that you didn’t anticipate, express your desire to discuss them and find solutions that you are both happy with.

4. Provide reassurance

In order to convince your landlord that Airbnb is a good idea, you need to have a specific plan in place to mitigate the risks involved. Once you remove the perceived barriers, it’ll be easier to open your landlord’s mind to what they have to gain from your Airbnb business.

Here are some promises you can make to reassure your landlord:

• Pay rent on time: Point out that the extra income you’ll get from Airbnb will make you even less likely to miss any rent payments.
• Offer to add security features: Offer to add security cameras and smart door locks to enhance the security of the property.
• Keep the place in good condition: Explain that you’ll always be keeping your place in prime condition for guests, which can benefit the property’s overall maintenance.
• Create an addendum to your lease: Put in writing that you’ll thoroughly vet each renter and accept full responsibility for any damage they cause to the property.
• Offer a trial period: Propose testing the waters with Airbnb in the short term to allow your landlord the option to change their mind if they decide Airbnb isn’t worth it.

Make sure to tailor your pitch to your specific situation. Are you just going to Airbnb a room in your apartment while you’re still living there? If so, the landlord may be more inclined to consent to your request since you’ll be on site to supervise guests and address their questions and concerns.

If, on the other hand, you’re planning on doing rental arbitrage and renting out your entire place while you go on trips out of town, it may be tougher to persuade your landlord that Airbnb hosting is a good idea.

5. Offer incentives

Above all else, the one thing that’s going to make the biggest difference to your landlord’s decision on whether to let you Airbnb your apartment is what’s in it for them. It’s rare for a landlord to allow Airbnb if they’re getting nothing in return.

Here are a few ideas for incentives to offer your landlord:

• Cut of your revenue
• Lease extension
• Upfront rent payments
• Higher security deposit

It’s a good idea to start by offering a share of your profits from Airbnb. Depending on your landlord’s priorities, values, and resistance to Airbnb, you may need to offer something more.

6. Outline the benefits

In addition to offering incentives, hammer home the benefits of an Airbnb business by listing all the ways that your landlord will benefit from your venture.

One point worth mentioning is that you can take down your listing at any time if your landlord changes their mind. But if they enjoy it, there’s potential for them to maintain the Airbnb business into the future, even after your lease has ended.

You might also mention that you’ll put more work into cleaning and maintaining the property since it’ll be serving as a vacation home. The income coming in from guests can partly be used to cover maintenance costs.

7. Highlight your trustworthiness as a tenant

Your landlord probably won’t give into your request based on your trustworthiness alone, but it’s certainly something that will make them more comfortable with the arrangement. The best way to end your pitch to your landlord is to draw attention to how responsible you are and leverage the good relationship you have with them.

You’ll stand the best chances of success if you’ve been a star tenant, always paying your rent on time and not causing any issues in the home.

If you were recently late paying your rent or needed to call them in to sort out a problem you caused with the apartment, it might be best to wait to negotiate with your landlord until the event isn’t quite so fresh in their memory.

Even with all these tips for convincing your landlord to allow you to host on Airbnb, there’s a chance they’ll say no. If this happens, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.

If you’re set on starting an Airbnb business, then your best option is to look for somewhere else to rent and speak to the new landlord upfront to make sure they’re on board with your Airbnb plan before you sign the lease. You can also look into becoming an Airbnb cohost or property manager.

You can Airbnb your apartment without permission, but this is a risky move. Landlords usually find out that their property is on Airbnb, and you’ll be in big trouble for going against their wishes. They may have grounds to evict you or even sue you and take all your Airbnb profits.

How do landlords find out about Airbnb?

It’s your landlord’s job to oversee everything that’s happening with their property. If you Airbnb their place without permission, they’re bound to find out about it one way or another.

If you’re unlucky, they’ll receive complaints from neighbors or receive a notification from their insurance company or homeowner association (HOA) that they’re violating the terms of their agreement.

Depending on the level of security in your building, they may also be informed by property managers, security workers, or people they know in the building. There’s also a chance that they will come across the Airbnb listing themselves. The listing will be public, available for anyone to see.

How to find landlords for Airbnb

There are several ways to find an Airbnb-friendly landlord. The simplest option is to search Airbnb-approved rental properties on the Airbnb website. Just type in your location and browse the listings. Airbnb lists the rental price as well as an estimate for how much you can make.

Another option is to call up property managers and landlords in your area and pitch the idea to them before signing a lease. If you prepare a solid pitch outlining all the benefits of allowing you to Airbnb their property and put enough time into your search, there’s a good chance you’ll come across someone who’s up for partnering with you.