Short-term renting is a fully-furnished, all-inclusive renting alternative that has been growing in popularity in Boise and beyond. There are pros, cons and a couple major decisions to consider, such as “how short,” who’s managing the home and whether AirBnB and the likes will be a primary source of guests.

The number one thing to note – the higher rent does not necessarily mean higher profits.

Short-term renting starts with a fully-furnished rental, which generally are a single-family home, condo, townhome, or even one or two units within a multi-family property. From there, property owners include all utilities, supplies, internet, and landscape. The property management also involves a lot more moving parts than a typical Boise rental. Lease terms may be as short as one night, or could last multiple months.

It’s true that the income is higher, but so are the expenses. When you weigh all that out, there are two ways to come out ahead when providing furnished, compared to unfurnished Boise rentals. Doing your own property management is one way to make a higher net, as short-term rental management costs 20-35%. This often helps put an owner’s net proceeds pretty close to where they otherwise might fall in a long-term/unfurnished rental, which typically costs 10% or less to manage. The other main benefit could be the ability to use your property, in part or in full, depending on the setup (e.g. when family comes to town, or perhaps you keep access to the garage).

For the most part, the short-term rental clientele is respectful, but there are bad apples in every bunch. In the review- based system of AirBnB, there’s also more accountability and documentation to help encourage thoughtful behavior. For those who slip through the cracks, at least their stay is brief, unlike bad long-term tenants’ stays.

There’s also a rental housing crisis in Boise that short-term renting may not be helping. This depends on who you ask. Some may view it as taking away more affordable rental units. Others may see it as adding units or adding transitional housing options for people who need time to achieve their next step of buying or renting. New grandparents, those remodeling or building homes, tourists, traveling workers, and new arrivals to Boise are among the many people who utilize short-term rental housing.

Stacy McBain

Associate Broker, Swope Investment Properties
Boise Investment Properties Team