BCBusiness

JULY/AUGUST 2017 BCBUSINESS 143 ISTOCK Of course, the type of housing you have and the neighbourhood will inuence the kinds of vacation renters you get. In hip, east-side Strathcona, Plommer got a lot of younger and budget renters. O•-site hosts who are renting out large houses with mul- tiple bedrooms seem to be more appealing to partiers as well, judging by the extensive, sometimes daunting, rules those hosts often post about noise, parties and potential •nes. Patti, a 60-something woman who runs an independent consultancy in her non-hosting life, has been renting out a one-bedroom basement apartment in her Dunbar house for four years. She never has to worry about partiers. She and her partner, who handles the bookings, are in the middle of a solidly residential neighbourhood close to UBC and several private schools. As of April, their place was booked through to September, almost all of their guests either young couples, per- haps with a child, visiting relatives or older couples seeing children at university. Like Plommer, Patti found that pro- viding food is hit and miss, although she continues to do it, as well as furnishing the kitchen so it's like cooking at home. People appreciate that. "Some eat everything, others nothing," she says. "Our experi- ence is that, unless people are coming for a month, they're not cooking much. If they're there for three nights, not at all." As for what else to supply, it varies. Guillermo Serrano, who rents out a bedroom in the three-storey Yaletown condo he shares with his partner, added hand rails in the bathroom, put non-slip material in the bathtub and on the edge of each stair between the second-oor bed- room and the ground oor, and installed motion-sensor lights. "For us, safety is the main issue," says Serrano, who works as a corporate trainer in communications. Patti spent about $10,000 to furnish her unit with inexpensive but tasteful furniture, which included a new couch, comfortable bed, co•ee table and more. Emily Plommer said she only spent about $300. There was some furniture and sup- plies already in the suite, and she did some strategic thrift-shop purchasing to add to that. She estimates it would have cost another $250 for nice linens and towels if she hadn't had those already. All emphasize that, as the host, you get to set the rules. If you want to make the kitchen o•-limits, you can do that. If not, you can spell that out. "In ours, you can use the kitchen—you're kind of like a house guest," Serrano says. As well, he and his partner have two dogs, which they wor- ried might be o•-putting. But they weren't about to get rid of their pets, so they forged ahead. As it turns out, almost every guest comments favourably on the resident ani- mals and how much they like them. None felt the need to go to quite the lengths that Airbnb recommends: folding the •rst sheet of toilet paper into an origami shape; putting out fresh owers; hanging original art by locals; providing art supplies so guests can express their creative side. But as a frequent Airbnb guest, I can attest that—after you've driven all day, navi- gated your way through a strange city in a foreign language, retrieved the keys from the exotic hiding place and mastered the multiple locks—a bottle of wine sitting on the counter is an awfully nice sight. To Give and to Get A few tips for would-be hosts on provisions, pricing and protection ESSENTIALS • Nice bedding • Clean, luxurious towels • Coffee RATES You can set your own price. A host with a one-bedroom basement suite near UBC in Vancouver has been charging only $105 a night for years. Or you can let Airbnb modify the price, according to demand, allowing it to rise on weekends or for events where accommodation is in short supply. A couple who rent the spare bedroom in their Yaletown condo say it usually goes for $100, but it has rented for as much as $180 on some nights. INSURANCE Homeowners planning to rent out a room or a whole unit through an Airbnb-type service should check with their insurer to see if they are already covered or should purchase something extra, advises Aaron Sutherland, a spokesperson for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Western and Pacific region. Some companies are starting to offer special add-on coverage. "It's a relatively new product line, and it's going to vary by company and product, whether you're renting out a single room or entire home," Sutherland says. "Often the risk is different for those." HOME AGAIN Some owners of short- term rentals offer guests a fully stocked kitchen

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