AirLoom

The AirLoom Blog

Airbnb rental arbitrage and short-term rental investing, from the data up.

STR investing

STR Damage Deposits vs. Damage Waivers: Which Protects You

Security deposits, host guarantee programs, and damage waiver fees protect STR hosts differently. Here is how to layer them so claims actually pay out.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Document Move-In Condition for an Arbitrage Lease

A move-in documentation checklist that protects your deposit and shields you from damage disputes over guest turnover wear.

STR investing

Direct Bookings for Short-Term Rentals: When They're Worth It

How to weigh a direct-booking channel against Airbnb and Vrbo fees, what it actually takes to build one, and when it pays off.

Arbitrage how-to

LLC or Individual: Who Should Sign Your Arbitrage Lease

Should you sign an Airbnb arbitrage lease as an LLC or personally? How landlords weigh each option and how to decide.

STR investing

When to Add Mid-Term Rentals to Your STR Portfolio

30-plus-night stays can hedge STR seasonality and sidestep some regulations. Here's when mid-term rentals actually make sense.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Verify a City STR Registration Rule Before You Sign a Lease

Check owner-occupancy rules, permit caps, and zoning before leasing a unit for Airbnb arbitrage, not after you sign.

STR investing

Cost Segregation for Short-Term Rentals: How It Actually Works

How cost segregation accelerates depreciation on short-term rentals, why STRs qualify for more of it, and when a study is actually worth doing.

Arbitrage how-to

Negotiating Utility Caps Into Your Airbnb Arbitrage Lease

How to structure utility caps, overage clauses, and sub-metering in an Airbnb arbitrage sublease so surprise bills don't eat your margin.

STR investing

How to Recover From a Bad Review on Your STR Listing

A single bad review won't sink your Airbnb listing. Here's how to respond, when to dispute it, and how to keep it from happening again.

Arbitrage how-to

Negotiating Lease Length and Exit Clauses for Airbnb Arbitrage

How to negotiate lease term and exit clauses in an Airbnb arbitrage deal so a bad month doesn't turn into a locked-in bad year.

STR investing

The STR Tax Loophole: What Material Participation Really Means

How the short-term rental tax loophole actually works: material participation tests, cost segregation, and the mistakes that undo the benefit.

Arbitrage how-to

Master Lease vs. Sublease: Structuring an Arbitrage Deal

Sublease, master lease, or corporate lease? How each Airbnb arbitrage lease structure changes your risk, approval odds, and renewal leverage.

STR investing

Scaling a Short-Term Rental Portfolio: What Breaks After Unit One

Going from one STR to a portfolio isn't just 'more of the same.' Here's what actually breaks as you scale, and how to fix it before it costs you.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Check HOA and Condo Rules Before an Airbnb Arbitrage Lease

How to check HOA, condo, and co-op rules for short-term rental restrictions before signing an Airbnb arbitrage sublease.

STR investing

Short-Term Rental vs. Long-Term Rental: The Real Economics

A category-by-category comparison of STR and long-term rental economics: revenue, costs, vacancy risk, management burden, regulation, and financing.

STR investing

Planning for STR Seasonality: The Off-Season Playbook

How to underwrite, price, and cash-reserve a short-term rental for its real seasonal demand curve, not just its annual average.

STR investing

Raising Investment Capital for Your Airbnb Arbitrage Business

How Airbnb arbitrage operators raise outside capital - angel investment vs. deal-level partners, what investors evaluate, and where to actually find them.

Arbitrage how-to

Furnishing an Airbnb Arbitrage Unit on a Budget: A Room-by-Room Guide

A room-by-room framework for furnishing an Airbnb arbitrage unit without overspending - where to invest, where to save, and what guests actually notice.

STR investing

How Lenders Evaluate a Short-Term Rental Property for Financing

What mortgage lenders and DSCR loan programs actually look at when financing a short-term rental property, and how to prepare your numbers before you apply.

STR investing

How to Evaluate a Property Manager for Your Short-Term Rental

What to actually check before hiring a short-term rental property manager - fee structure, response times, and the questions that reveal how they really operate.

STR investing

Pricing Your Short-Term Rental: A Framework Beyond Just Matching Comps

Why copying nearby listing prices isn't a pricing strategy, and a framework for pricing a short-term rental based on demand signals, not guesswork.

STR investing

Short-Term Rental Insurance: What Your Landlord Policy Doesn't Cover

Why a standard landlord or homeowner's policy usually isn't enough for short-term rental operators, and the coverage gaps to close before you host your first guest.

STR investing

How to Choose a Market for Short-Term Rental Investing

A framework for evaluating short-term rental markets - demand signals, regulatory stability, competition, and seasonality - before you commit capital to a city.

Arbitrage how-to

Airbnb Arbitrage Lease Red Flags: What to Read Before You Sign

The lease clauses that quietly kill Airbnb rental arbitrage deals - subletting bans, insurance requirements, termination terms, and what to negotiate before you sign.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Build a Landlord Pitch That Gets Your Sublease Approved

A practical script and structure for pitching landlords on an Airbnb arbitrage sublease - what to lead with, what to offer, and how to handle the objections you'll actually get.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Underwrite an Airbnb Arbitrage Deal Before You Sign a Lease

A step-by-step framework for underwriting an Airbnb rental arbitrage deal: the costs to count, the revenue assumptions to stress-test, and how to find your real break-even point.

Arbitrage how-to

How to Spot an Airbnb Arbitrage-Friendly Listing Before You Call the Landlord

A practical checklist for screening long-term rental listings for Airbnb arbitrage potential - lease terms, building type, and the questions to ask before you underwrite the deal.