Before tenants list commercial rental homes, they should carefully review their leases, according to Joshua Krefetz, a real estate attorney at Ligris, a Newton, Mass. firm that specializes in landlord-tenant disputes. “The laws are different in every state, but the bottom line is the language of the lease,” Mr. Krefetz said.
He has not worked on any cases involving disputes arising from this type of short-term rental, but explained that generally “full disclosure and consent should avoid problems with the landlord”. Hosts should also consider getting liability insurance before listing, he added, even if they’re renting rather than owning.
Hattie Kolp, 30, a special education teacher in New York who writes a lifestyle and design blog, has lived in the same two-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side since she was 10. She took over her parents’ lease about four years ago and now rents the apartment for $1,300 a month.
In January 2021, Ms Kolp began advertising her apartment for rent by the hour on Home Studio List after someone on the platform, which only lists residential properties, contacted her. Having lived there for most of her life, she was “comfortable doing this”, she said, because “I know no one will have a problem with this”. In March, she created a second listing, on Peerspace, where her spot has since been reserved for photo and video shoots.
Decorated in what she describes as a Parisian style, the apartment is furnished with jewel-toned furniture and gold accents. These items, Ms. Kolp said, are intended to supplement the bones of the approximately 130-year-old unit. Built in 1892, its features from that era include a 25-foot-long hallway, pocket doors, and a butler’s pantry with a dumbwaiter.
