Airbnb Host and Investors Forum North America - USA Regions Pacific A Short Term Rental (STR) Forum Community

[SunSeeker]

Hi all,
 
Any Hawaii (specifically Hilo area) hosts on this thread? I’m seriously considering purchasing a short term rental property on the Big Island. I live in CA and I’m nervous (understandably) about a few things.
 
This would be my first short term rental and I’m not necessarily looking to make a ton of money on it. I would consider it a success really if it just pays for itself and my family can use a few times a year when we visit since we have family there. What’s the general sentiment towards people who are from the mainland and own vacation homes who also rent them out – this was happening before VRBO and Airbnb which has just made it easier. I feel like Hawaii being a tourist centric state there would be many competent managemt companies who can help manage not only guests during stays but house up-keep and maintenance.

[Gemyjan]

If you're main goal is not trying to make money (or even break even) it's doable. With today's tech it's easy to keep an eye on things from far away. We have smart devices that can monitor temperature, electricity usage, control doors and the HVAC. Hawaii has pretty defined guidelines for STR's so I would suggest checking the guidelines posted by the planning department and making sure you are onboard.

https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/re...on-rentals