KCRag Forum

Hi All,

I am looking to buy a condo in KC, somewhere from the Plaza to Downtown. I want to rent the space out on AirBnb (or to a tenant if need be) and use the apartment as an income property. Please share any ideas, thoughts, or suggestions, specifically about location, that you may have.

Looking forward to learning a bit more about the Kansas City market and hearing your opinions!

-Greg

first, is AirBNB legal in KC? Don't bother continuing until you've consulted with a lawyer on the topic

There's are hundreds doing it in metro, over 100 in KCMO proper...
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Kansas-City--mo

I dont really see a market for AirBnb in this area. The main reason is that KC is not a huge tourist spot like say Seattle, Portland, Denver or Chicago. Hotels are also very affordable for very good locations. You might have someone stay for a day or 2 during the weekend but will you really make that much money doing it? Seems like a big hassle if you ask me

AirBnB isn't just for high tourist markets, it's for travelers wanting to stay in a place that has the comforts of a home. And for those who operate a space, it may be more profitable than traditional renting. If you look at reviews from travelers, many often say they don't understand why anyone would stay in a hotel room compared to well run aBnB places. I haven't tried it yet but am curious (as a traveler).

When you consider that there are about 30K hotel/motel rooms in KC area, seems there is a place for a few hundred AirBnB rooms.

earthling wrote:AirBnB isn't just for high tourist markets, it's for travelers wanting to stay in a place that has the comforts of a home. And for those who operate a space, it may be more profitable than traditional renting. If you look at reviews from travelers, many often say they don't understand why anyone would stay in a hotel room compared to well run aBnB places. I haven't tried it yet but am curious (as a traveler).

When you consider that there are about 30K hotel/motel rooms in KC area, seems there is a place for a few hundred AirBnB rooms.

I am actually planning to do AirBnB over Market Days weekend in Chicago but we're staying uptown near a friend. There's actually NO hotels nearby my friend's apartment but there are about 20 AirBnB's nearby him.

geeman68 wrote:

earthling wrote:AirBnB isn't just for high tourist markets, it's for travelers wanting to stay in a place that has the comforts of a home. And for those who operate a space, it may be more profitable than traditional renting. If you look at reviews from travelers, many often say they don't understand why anyone would stay in a hotel room compared to well run aBnB places. I haven't tried it yet but am curious (as a traveler).

When you consider that there are about 30K hotel/motel rooms in KC area, seems there is a place for a few hundred AirBnB rooms.

I am actually planning to do AirBnB over Market Days weekend in Chicago but we're staying uptown near a friend. There's actually NO hotels nearby my friend's apartment but there are about 20 AirBnB's nearby him.

I just stayed in Chicago's Uptown in an AirBnB last week. I would highly recommend the ones run by Flats Chicago. Their room was ~280 sq ft but had a kitchen, washer/dryer, bathroom, etc. Very clean and well done, decor was a collaboration with CB2. Cost was about 89 a night. Check it out if you haven't gotten a place already.

I have three friends who are making a ton of money doing AirBNB rentals in KC. The most common customers tend to vary by neighborhood. From what they've told me, West Plaza gets a lot of people staying a week or two for something related to KU Med or St. Luke's. The Westside gets cultural tourists who want to be immersed in the local culture.

We stayed at one in the Boston area. It was fantastic. It was a bit cheaper than the hotels, and since we knew our way around that part of Cambridge, we were able to do breakfast and lunch at the AirBNB and keep costs down.

I'd watch out for HOAs who are hawks about this. Buying simply to rent out can easily be considered non residential zoning.

Not sure if you can read this but it looks like there was a shooting on 35th and Wyandotte over the weekend and it stemed from a party (presumably underage) but the party was being thrown at an AirBnb property. Hopefully this isn't a trend, it looks like this matthew rice guy is the one hosting these parties at airbnb properties.

Read the comments of that first posting by tara
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4434094 ... 6/?fref=nf

My god! That story is a mess!

I'm so glad I read this. We are getting ready to move to the Pacific Northwest, and having only owned our Westside home for slightly over a year, are mulling over rental options rather than trying to sell. AirBNB has been part of the conversation, but this certainly gives me pause. I feel horrible for all the neighbors, as well as for the guy that actually owns the house and made the poor decision to let this fool manage it.

KC called out as one of two cities in midwest as a value play (and Cleveland) in an article about most profitable airbnb cities...
http://blog.airdna.co/most-profitable-a ... n-america/

Map of airbnb rentals in KC...
https://www.airdna.co/city/us/missouri/kansas-city

Update: I bought a place and have been renting it out on Airbnb for 3-weeks. Totally booked up in July and have strong demand for August. Lots of my renters are tourists (surprisingly) and some here for work. Lots of interest about everything going on downtown.

Good for you! I'm doing one in STL in August for a Sat/Sun night trip. Really looking forward to it. $200/night for a good hotel where I want to be vs. what is usually $80-$110/night on Airbnb seems like a great deal to me.

we never stay in hotels anymore, anywhere (unless work is paying for it). airbnb is where it's at.

a relative has several airbnb units in KC and she does very well with them. my neighbor in south hyde park had a airbnb in the lower half of his duplex and it seemed to be pretty busy - and it never bothered us at all.

we still prefer hotels for short stays because they're just more comfortable.