When Airbnb launched back in 2008, it came with a noble idea – what if, in the spirit of the circular economy, we gave flat owners a simple tool to fill a temporarily empty room (or an entire house, cottage, etc.) with someone happy to pay for a bed and a hot shower? But as is so often the case, all good things come to an end, and Airbnb is no exception. Today, European and global cities are essentially waging war on Airbnb, with critics frequently pointing to ongoing gentrification and the way city centres are gradually turning into little more than tourist theme parks. If you're considering offering your spare room on Airbnb or a similar platform, be sure to clarify from the very start what you expect from renting it out. How much space do you want to provide, and in which location? What exactly do you want to offer as a host? Are you flexible with your time? If you only want to rent out a room in a shared household, you need to be honest with yourself about whether having a guest around will bother you a little (or a lot). Try to picture the situation from your potential customer's point of view as well. Clearly, for most people the goal is to put in as little effort as possible and get as much money as possible out of renting. But the following 5 paragraphs may surprise you. Wondering why you should steer clear of Airbnb? 1. Airbnb isn't short-term rental and can't be exempt from tax One of the most important aspects of running an Airbnb business is paying taxes and being placed in the right "box" by the Czech authorities. Over the years, they have learned how to handle the whole issue and have plenty of data and experience. The courts have already ruled that Airbnb cannot under any circumstances be classified as standard rental. You therefore need to properly pay all fees and taxes, including VAT, should your income exceed the statutory threshold for registration (currently 2 million Kč over 12 consecutive months). 2. Using the property contrary to its approved purpose The second most frequently mentioned drawback is that if a property approved for use as a flat is in fact used by dozens of groups a year as a hotel room, you may run into unpleasant trouble with the building authority and other state and local administration bodies. Hotels and guesthouses are subject to completely different building regulations than flats. If anyone decided to challenge your business before the authorities or the courts, this would be your "weak spot", and it isn't easy to fix. 3. Time and administrative demands You may not realise it yet, but if a new group of guests moves into your flat three times a week, you'll have to clean. A lot of cleaning. It won't always be pretty, and you won't always have help on hand. On top of that, you need to officially keep a guest book, stay in touch with the foreign police, pay local fees, and also handle daily communication with prospective guests, who can sometimes come up with very tricky questions. Even greater agony awaits you if a complaint or a problem comes up. 4. Wear and tear on the flat and the need for maintenance Even though you'll probably be among those who set house rules banning celebrations, parties and stag nights in their flat, there will always be the odd crafty guest who breaks that rule. And then you'll be left amazed at the state your beautiful, freshly painted flat is returned in. And it doesn't even have to be parties – the occasional mishap with a glass of wine, a pan full of hot oil or a toddler who's had an accident can happen to anyone. Regular repairs and maintenance naturally cost money, and together they can swallow up several tens of percent of your Airbnb earnings. 5. Relations with neighbours and the local community Last but not least, we'd like to mention the social and ethical side of renting through Airbnb. There's no question that city centres have changed with the arrival of Airbnb, and not entirely for the better. It should be in all our interests for the heart of the city to be genuinely inhabited by people who love Prague and want to change it for the better. On the contrary, cases where long-time residents have lashed out at problematic owners or unruly guests in Airbnb flats are no longer all that rare. Although violence is never the answer, the behaviour of some Airbnb guests is the reason why the public has a shred of sympathy for such guerrilla actions. So not Airbnb – but what then? Flat Service! If the current situation around Airbnb rentals has put you off, there's absolutely no reason to be disheartened. We offer you the option of long-term rental through the property management agency Flat Service. We'll gladly come and take a look at your flat and prepare a free calculation of how much we can rent it out for. We'll take care of the complete administrative and technical service, prepare the documents for your taxes, find suitable tenants and handle their day-to-day questions. You don't have to deal with a thing.
Get in touch with us with no obligation at +420 277 000 330 or write to sales@flatservice.cz and arrange a date for a personal meeting. Our speciality is the FLAT SERVICE GARANT service, under which you receive a regular monthly payment for your flat even when it isn't currently occupied by a tenant. We simply take that risk on ourselves. Sounds good, doesn't it?
