Buying a property / cabin / cottage for 90% AirBNB. Anyone done it? | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Buying a property / cabin / cottage for 90% AirBNB. Anyone done it?

I have been thinking about putting the little apt above my garage into Air B&B. There are no hotels/motels within 10km

Cheap water access lot on a remote lake or river, toss up 3 yurts, and give it some fancy green off the grid name like “Miora River Maiden Peace Eco Lodge”. Put it in the “Experience” part of Airbnb for $1500 per week/yurt.

also post that the area is a Druidic healing temple filled with positive energy aura and you’ll be block booked by hippies for the year
 
Check zoning by-laws for short-term rentals.

For example, Seguin township up near Parry Sound doesn't allow short-term rentals of homes on waterfront property. Keep an ear to the ground for up-and-coming zoning changes. Our city that we're currently in just passed new by-laws earlier this year that restricts short-term rentals to only zoned areas which forced a lot of investment properties to open up to long-term tenants - which was the intent.

A lot of municipalities see AirBnB as a threat to the housing pool available for rentals for residents (as opposed to tourists), and owners associations see AirBnB as bringing undesirable elements to their community wrt noise, pollution and crime. This is only going to get more restrictive, not less, in the future.

When shopping for an investment property, don't count on the fact that all the neighbouring properties are listed on AirBnB. Zoning by-laws are mostly enforced only after a complaint. It only takes one irate neighbour to be fed-up of the noise and traffic on your property.
 
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also post that the area is a Druidic healing temple filled with positive energy aura and you’ll be block booked by hippies for the year
I'm thinking hobbit houses
can't be over 100 square feet so I'll build everything round :LOL: mpac will never be able to figure out how big it is.
 
What's mpac's protocol on TARDIS structures?
or igloos,
I wondered about that one, is there no size limit or building standards on igloo construction ? I think we found a loophole.
Igloo Hotels :cool:
 
ah crap :/ gave away another billion dollar idea
 
When satellite internet becomes mainstream rural housing prices will explode.
You could even bypass the Airbnb aspect. Create a website with HTML+bootstrap, sql database, some proper security settings (to accept payments or pay the fees to outsource this) and a reliable hosting provider.

I could do that today. Back as early as 2008 I used to own www.rentmyrv.ca and rented my trailer out many times. Made a lot of money on it at the time. This was long before the modern day rental agencies like RVEzy.com and such existed.

But you can roll-your-own as much as you want, ultimately you may still struggle for exposure. When someone wants a getaway their mind may go straight to AirBNB. Googling things (using the right keywords to hit your website) or checking Kijiji for an ad with a link may not often be first and foremost in mind for them.

It'a also important to remember that these third party rental companies like AirBNB and RVEzy etc also do typically offer some level of protections and insurance policies for both the renter and the owner, so there are benefits.

Most owners I've talked to only want bookings for week long rentals minimum. Driving 30 minutes to clean, prep for the next guest etc every 2-3 days gets old really quick.

You mention mortgage. That may prove to be an issue with these "experience style" retreats. Lenders really only want to lend on 4 season homes. To buy say 10 acres and throw a cabin on it probably won't fly without a 50% down payment. A way around that might be to use a HELOC but personally on a investment property I would sooner use a more traditional mortgage.

We stayed in 2 different AirBNB lodges this past summer, both very clearly had third parties who came in at arrival and departure (to turn things over) who were not the owner. Many people have arrangements with a local person for this - either getting paid (a lot of Airbnb's do have cleaning surcharges) or in exchange for actual time using the facility itself.

But I would like to have them close so I can tend to things when necessary, and the kind of thing I'm looking at is minimal upkeep anyways.

As for financing being an issue, yeah, banks may not be super excited about it, but when you aren't looking for insane money to begin with and have a paid off house you're willing to use as collatteral, well, I'm pretty sure there will be a bank somewhere willing to work with you.

I have been thinking about putting the little apt above my garage into Air B&B. There are no hotels/motels within 10km

Cheap water access lot on a remote lake or river, toss up 3 yurts, and give it some fancy green off the grid name like “Miora River Maiden Peace Eco Lodge”. Put it in the “Experience” part of Airbnb for $1500 per week/yurt.

You laugh, but a LOT of the Yurt experiences are in the $150-$200/night range. Toss in some "cool" things like an outdoor shower and solar lighting (to get the eco nut crowd) and a fire pit with some muskoka chairs and boom, you're booked solid.

It only takes one irate neighbour to be fed-up of the noise and traffic on your property.

I wouldn't want any neighbours. My thought is "chunk of property in the woods somewhere", with the only reason for anyone to go there is to go in and out of the the AirBNB.

I'm also pretty savvy with a lot of DIY. If hydro can't be brought into the property...Setting up things like solar systems, basic low voltage electrical, and even some cellular internet setup that would allow basic interaction with the property for things like remote door locks and occupancy sensors, perhaps even a camera that oversees the property as a whole etc etc...easy peasy for me. If hydro can be brought in, even better.

Yeah, I'd just pay for some of it - would want a well and septic, I'd farm that out to the pros of course. Actually plumbing things to and from that though? I can do that.

Lots to think about.
 
170px-Squat_outhouse_cm01.jpg

"Outhouses are covered in the Ontario Building Code as Class 1 sewage systems, referred to as “earth pit” privies. As long as building regulations are followed and the only thing going into the outhouse is human waste, there is nothing wrong with having a biffy."

... you might want to build a better one then that one ?
 
If you're too close to where work is, and too amenity rich, you'll be competing with the millennials who are trying to buy their first place.
 
What's mpac's protocol on TARDIS structures?
TARDIS structures are taxed based on the residual value of their plutonic fenerpulator in the current Julian calendar year. Plus land value.

The Lucas based ones have no tax on the structure in years that have rain.
 
:unsure: you can take public transit to get to the Glen Rouge campground.

What about houseboats that must be relatively tax free. It's still a house in the winter ;)
 
ah crap :/ gave away another billion dollar idea and now I want a houseboat.

talk about fresh fish, you could fish through a hole in the kitchen floor :LOL: I am so doing that!
 
I could do that today. Back as early as 2008 I used to own www.rentmyrv.ca and rented my trailer out many times. Made a lot of money on it at the time. This was long before the modern day rental agencies like RVEzy.com and such existed.

But you can roll-your-own as much as you want, ultimately you may still struggle for exposure. When someone wants a getaway their mind may go straight to AirBNB. Googling things (using the right keywords to hit your website) or checking Kijiji for an ad with a link may not often be first and foremost in mind for them.

It'a also important to remember that these third party rental companies like AirBNB and RVEzy etc also do typically offer some level of protections and insurance policies for both the renter and the owner, so there are benefits.



We stayed in 2 different AirBNB lodges this past summer, both very clearly had third parties who came in at arrival and departure (to turn things over) who were not the owner. Many people have arrangements with a local person for this - either getting paid (a lot of Airbnb's do have cleaning surcharges) or in exchange for actual time using the facility itself.

But I would like to have them close so I can tend to things when necessary, and the kind of thing I'm looking at is minimal upkeep anyways.

As for financing being an issue, yeah, banks may not be super excited about it, but when you aren't looking for insane money to begin with and have a paid off house you're willing to use as collatteral, well, I'm pretty sure there will be a bank somewhere willing to work with you.



You laugh, but a LOT of the Yurt experiences are in the $150-$200/night range. Toss in some "cool" things like an outdoor shower and solar lighting (to get the eco nut crowd) and a fire pit with some muskoka chairs and boom, you're booked solid.



I wouldn't want any neighbours. My thought is "chunk of property in the woods somewhere", with the only reason for anyone to go there is to go in and out of the the AirBNB.

I'm also pretty savvy with a lot of DIY. If hydro can't be brought into the property...Setting up things like solar systems, basic low voltage electrical, and even some cellular internet setup that would allow basic interaction with the property for things like remote door locks and occupancy sensors, perhaps even a camera that oversees the property as a whole etc etc...easy peasy for me. If hydro can be brought in, even better.

Yeah, I'd just pay for some of it - would want a well and septic, I'd farm that out to the pros of course. Actually plumbing things to and from that though? I can do that.

Lots to think about.
Septic system is going to be a big issue in this plan getting approval will be next to impossible and many places you actually need your own treatment plant. I have a treatment plant in my front yard needs hydro and bi yearly inspection probably costs around 3000 a year to operate and maintain. A composting toilet will be a way simpler option. Also getting the building permits etc could be a hassle you will need to be big enough to meet all codes around 1200 sq ft in many places. I have a feeling most of these are done illegally with no permit or permission.

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Porta pottis or composting toilet it is LOL.

I guess that explains why a lot of places I lean towards booking have exactly that - composting toilets.

As for codes, I'd probably be looking at <1200 sq feet from the onset, and I'm pretty sure things like Yurts and such are not considered "Permanent structures" regardless and are excluded from such anyways I'm pretty sure.

I would of course do a lot of due diligence. I'm purely in the "back of the napkin" stage right now. ;)
 
one of the issues with those campgrounds is the cash business
they are a great enterprise for keeping a portion of your earnings away from CRA

but then your books don't show the real value
how to you explain to a buyer, especially one that needs financing
that your business is actually worth x-times what the books say?

mimico, ever get over to Wilno?

Biggest pirogi I ever saw / ate was at the Wilno Tavern. The size of a softball.
 
Lots of gated community type properties in the countries we are looking at where there’s a ready built ecosystem for this kind of thing. It’s not the kind of property we’d ideally like to retire to but these are popular holiday getaways with a regular turnover. Blocking off a week or two every year for our own use would be useful too. If I were to do any modifications to any property being used for this kind of thing it would be installing a toilet that doesn’t plug up as easily.
 
:unsure: you can take public transit to get to the Glen Rouge campground.

What about houseboats that must be relatively tax free. It's still a house in the winter ;)

there you go bud.....the boating life....


I actually knew a guy that lived on his boat. Was cheaper than renting in Toronto, and easier than coming to work from his farm near Barrie. Full year round.
 
Biggest pirogi I ever saw / ate was at the Wilno Tavern. The size of a softball.
Sure it wasn’t a panzorrati? LoL I was at that Polish restaurant a few times....so good!
Once again I’ll plug a friends restaurant for Polish food....Albatross Pub on lakeshore between Islington and Kipling.

only reason we don’t do takeout anymore from there is cause it’s too far door to door and food would be cold. Might try it next weekend or tomorrow when traffic is minimal.
 
Porta pottis or composting toilet it is LOL.

I guess that explains why a lot of places I lean towards booking have exactly that - composting toilets.

As for codes, I'd probably be looking at <1200 sq feet from the onset, and I'm pretty sure things like Yurts and such are not considered "Permanent structures" regardless and are excluded from such anyways I'm pretty sure.

I would of course do a lot of due diligence. I'm purely in the "back of the napkin" stage right now. ;)
Another option is unincorporated areas. They will be further north, but most don’t worry about permits. Your stuff still needs to meet zoning, code and septics need Conservation ok, but a lot less restricted.
 

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