AUSTIN, Texas — Finding affordable rent can be a challenge in a booming city like Austin. Some people turn to renting out their homes to earn extra income, but many apartment renters have been left out of that opportunity until recently.
"We've talked to many renters around the country, and they're just not able to do this in many buildings. So we wanted to change that," said Sam Randall, communications lead at Airbnb.
The home rental company now has Airbnb-friendly apartments in 37 markets in the U.S., including the Austin metro area, so renters can also be hosts.
"They identified the markets where, you know, they think that there would be demand for this, and Austin is certainly one of them," Randall said.
In Central Texas, nine apartment buildings, from far South Austin up to Cedar Park and even downtown, are eligible for Airbnb hosting. Airbnb limited the number of days renters can host to 10, so the community doesn't lose the residential feel.
"By only having and allowing people to rent 10 nights per month in the buildings, it really keeps the fabric of the community there, which we want to do," Randall said.
Airbnb has seen a range of uses for this program, including military members hosting while they're on deployment, students in grad school trying to make their housing more affordable and even retirees who rent their apartments out while they travel.
"This program, by putting an extra $500 or $600 in the pocket of somebody, that can go towards, you know, both bringing the cost of rent down but some of also the traditional things that are more expensive – grocery use, gas, you know, just putting some extra money in savings,” Randall said.
But whatever reason a renter may be hosting, those behind the program hope it can bring in some meaningful income.
"This program seeks to help people really afford life," Randall said.
The Airbnb-friendly apartment program currently has more than 250 buildings and 80,000 units on the marketplace in the U.S. Randall said Airbnb hopes to continue expanding the program across Central Texas and the nation.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.