Vacation home rental panel discussion upcoming
6 p.m. March 21 at PSU Extension office in Lewistown
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LEWISTOWN -- The commercials make it seem so easy. List an extra bedroom, cabin or vacation home on a website and the money will just roll in. But does it? Is it really that easy? Penn State Extension and the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau are hosting a panel discussion to talk about the pros and cons of owning and managing an online vacation rental property. Several property owners as well as attorney Donis Zagurskie, will be sharing their knowledge and experiences with this topic. The event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged.
Cabins, houses, and spare bedrooms have all been turned into extra income by resourceful property owners. Farmers have also devised a new revenue stream from their land by welcoming RVs onto their property for overnight stays. HarvestHost is just one online community that connects RV travelers with property owners that welcome them.
"With an astounding 2.2 million listings in the US, the online rental market is obviously red hot," Jenny Barron Landis, Executive Director of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau, said. "But providing this service may not be for everyone. We're encouraging new and prospective hosts to attend and talk with experienced hosts. It could save them time, money, and frustration."
Landis is quick to dispel the notion of the vacation home rental business as "easy money" and "hands-off" passive income.
"Many people don't realize that once you rent a property, you have started a business and are required to follow all laws, codes, insurance requirements and more," she said. "And don't forget about the time you will need to manage bookings before guest arrive, help guests staying in your property at any time of day or night and, what can be an issue for a lot of hosts - cleaning and prepping the property for another guest, sometimes arriving within hours of the last one departing."
As director of the local visitors bureau, Landis is an advocate of this newest way to house visitors but is concerned that some people may be stepping into something that they're not completely informed about.
"A bad experience in the Juniata River Valley can reflect on all of our tourism assets and efforts and we can't afford that," she said.
The Online Vacation Home Rentals Panel Event will be held on Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at the PSU Extension office in the basement of the Regional Business Center, 152 E. Market St. in Lewistown. Registration is requested so there will be enough materials on hand for all attendees. Register via the Facebook event page - Online Vacation Home Rental Panel Discussion or by emailing Cher Harpster at PennState Extension at cyh101@psu.edu.