Owning an Airbnb, Vrbo, other rental requires work. These Long Islanders say it's worth it.

As a way of earning additional income, Glen Head's Maxim Noble bought condos in vacation destinations in New York and Florida to rent out on websites like Airbnb.

The Manhattan investment banker spends a few thousand dollars a month per property in mortgages, cleaning and upkeep, as well as tech that helps him list his properties on a range of websites.

But the short-term rental market isn't what it used to be. While he said he will still turn a profit, he might net thousands less per property this year due to increased costs.

"It's not easy to make money in this business anymore," said Noble, 33, whose properties are near Hunter Mountain in upstate Greene County and in Miami. "There's a lot of competition."

Hosting in short-term rentals full-time is challenging, from navigating tightening local laws to balancing privacy with profit, handling demanding guests and battling competition from hotels. Still, some Long Island homeowners and investors say it's worth making room at the inn — or their homes and properties — for guests through short-term rental sites.

Want to host? Check the laws — and keep checking them

A bevy of websites, like Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, Booking.com, Google Travel and others offer options not only to travelers seeking reservations, but those seeking revenue. Airbnb, for example, has grown to more than 5 million hosts who welcomed 2.5 billion guests, generating $12.1 billion, up 10% year over year, in fiscal year 2025.

But as more people join as hosts, that can mean more competition. And those who join the game must navigate continuously changing laws and fees. A key to getting started with hosting short-term rentals is making sure it's permitted.

"On Long Island, every city and town has different rules," Airbnb director of policy Nathan Roman said. "We work with communities to ensure that posters understand their local obligations."

Noble said there "is growing opposition to short-term rentals from some residents" with some homeowners' associations trying to impose 30-day minimums, "which would effectively eliminate the market because these units are built for weekend stays."

"They're putting in procedures," he added. "They were unregulated for a long time. It's becoming more regulated now, more like a hotel."

Some Long Island communities simply ban brief stays.

Stays of 28 days or less are banned

in Town of Brookhaven. The ban also applies to Fire Island.

Eduardo Suazo, business development manager for Hollywood, Florida-based Vacation Rental License, said the first thing anyone interested in doing short-term rentals must do is find out whether short-term rentals are allowed.

"Areas might allow owners living in their own property to do short-term," said Suazo, who advises those seeking to go into this business. "People want to know if it's possible, including investors looking to buy a property or tenants looking to rent."

When they're allowed, short-term rentals can provide hosts with income and interactions with new people, but rules and restrictions for stays of 28 days or less can make this a non-starter.

Some Long Island communities simply ban brief stays. Brookhaven Deputy Town Attorney Beth Reilly said the township doesn't permit short-term rentals less than 28 nights. That, she added, also applies to Fire Island.

The Brookhaven Town code, she said, "specifically prohibits the operation of a transient residential occupancy."

Others said short-term rentals are running into more regulations from many entities. "It's getting harder and harder," Suazo said. "It's allowed in New York City, but heavily restricted."

Even if renting is permitted, owners may have to comply with a wide range of rules. To get a short-term rental permit in his Hunter building, for instance, Noble needed to find someone to be on-site within 30 minutes, as well as have annual fire inspections.

Running a rental full-time

While some people rent out rooms in their home, Noble sees himself as working in the hospitality business, using services to supplement what he earns from his full-time job.

"Setting up the business takes a long time," said Noble, whose operation includes sophisticated software and chatbots. "You don't just do it in a weekend."

Operating costs overall aren't cheap, Noble said, noting roughly $1,500 mortgages per property, $500 to $800 for electricity and heating; $300 for taxes and insurance; $1,500 for cleaning; and $100 monthly for supplies.

He also uses PriceLabs, a revenue-management software, which he said costs $20 a month per property, and HostBuddy for $10 monthly per property.

He purchased units, often near travel destinations with peak seasons, noting location matters in short-term rentals, as well as dedicating time to set up the business — "You have to furnish it, drive up there, probably dedicate a month to get systems in place," he said.

Noble added that Hunter units are strong starting when the mountain opens December through March, grossing $20,000 during ski season for each one-bedroom unit, totaling $50,000 to $60,000 annually.

"If there's a lot of demand, and it's ski season and people are booking well ahead, prices rise," Noble said of Hunter. "One-bedrooms can go up to $350 to $400 for Christmas and New Year's and upward of $1,000 [per night] for the three-bedroom."

Even pricing, Noble said, has become complex. He said to stay competitive, hosts must continually adjust pricing based on comparable listings and nearby hotels, monitor amenities, track guest reviews and watch events or snowstorms that impact price.

In Miami, Noble typically makes enough to pay the unit's mortgage and taxes, although some years are stronger.

Noble expects this year's net earnings may be down to

$10,000 or $15,000 per property

due to fees, taxes and costs.

Hosts sometimes have to decide who absorbs fees. For example, hosts with listings on Airbnb's single service fee structure absorb the service fee, while guests pay no service fee. Airbnb charges hosts a fee for using management software, and the host can decide how this is passed on to the guest in the form of fees.

To maximize profits, Noble suggested proper staging and using a good real estate photographer for listing images — which, unlike selling a property, need to attract renter after renter. "It has to be a professional photo or revenues will drop substantially," he said.

For multiple properties, he said, owners need property managers, cleaning teams and property management systems to manage and integrate platforms, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia and Booking.com.

"You need the right systems in place. It's not like it used to be," Noble said. "You could have Airbnb list your property and not worry about answering questions. People expect service right away."

Software like Hostaway.com and Guesty, he added, lets property owners create calendars with pricing consistent across platforms to avoid double booking. (If someone books through Booking.com, that night is blocked off on Airbnb.)

"I don't have to sign into all these different channels and block off the dates or update the pricing," Noble said.

Hosting part-time on Long Island

While Noble is all in with various platforms, Margaret Gibbons, 60, and her husband, Kieran, 61, both teacher's aides, rent out rooms part-time only through Airbnb in their home, in the Town of Huntington, which allows short-term rentals.

"My dream was to run a B&B, and Airbnb made it easy to try it out," Margaret Gibbons said. "They take care of the advertising, screening, insurance and collecting taxes. We select the dates we have available, so when our children return home or we have other friends or family visiting, we just block off those dates."

After some paperwork, buying linens, pillows and sheets, the Gibbonses were basically in business. "They take you step by step," Gibbons said of Airbnb.

They advertise as trying to be green and reuse as much as possible. "Things are clean, but used," Gibbons said, adding they invested a few hundred dollars in new linens. "Yes, sometimes guests are sleeping on sheep-patterned sheets. We invested in white towel sets and new pillows."

They hold down costs by doing their own cleaning, spending $10 to $20 monthly on supplies. The Gibbonses started by charging $75 per room and often book for upward of $120 on prime dates, like around Cow Harbor Day. Whole house rentals are options on Airbnb, but they only rent rooms.

"We're starting to charge a little more," Margaret said. "Some people said they thought it was a scam, because it was so cheap."

Gibbons said they have "flex rates" where Airbnb advises based on area availability and prices. "If it's a popular weekend, they suggest charging more," Gibbons said. "But I get the ultimate decision."

The Gibbonses net

$5,500 to $7,000 annually

after taxes and other costs.

After taxes and expenses, the Gibbonses net $5,500 to $7,000 annually doing Airbnb part-time during off-peak because their four children come back to visit.

"It's a nice little extra that we spend going on vacation elsewhere," Gibbons said. "We haven't been open in the summer or during the holidays, which probably would be busy times."

People typically stay one or two days, Gibbons said, for events like reunions and weddings, or concerts at The Paramount in Huntington, while artists stay when they have shows at nearby galleries.

"We've met a lot of interesting people, a lot of nice people, great stories," Gibbons said. "Some people, we don't see much. They're here to sleep, if they have an event. We let them decide how much involvement they want."

Managing problems

Guests can be, but aren't always, a pleasure. Most people, Gibbons said, are good guests, but there have been occasional people who were problematic.

The Gibbonses initially allowed people to bring pets but no longer do. "Some people say they're house trained and they're not," she said.

"Airbnb has people's information. So, it's not just someone walking in off the street," Gibbons added. "You can look at people's reviews or ratings."

Managing units can mean headaches, but technology helps. Noble said Hostaway has a chatbot called Host Buddy that mines answers from conversations to respond to requests for things such as the Wi-Fi code.

"There was a lot of time spent answering where the pool is, what's the Wi-Fi, code to get in, where you park," Noble said. "We streamlined the situation with this chatbot that answers the questions."

When a guest who couldn't get into one of Noble's properties at 1:30 a.m. requested help, the chatbot replied with a backup code.

"It handles most of the day-to-day conversations," Noble said, "but most importantly it also classifies requests that need immediate assistance and alerts me via text, so I know to respond and take over the conversation or reach out to the maintenance team."

Is it worth it?

Nightmares are possible, such as tenants who refuse to leave, even if that's rare. A spokesperson for Airbnb said someone who stays less than 30 days generally doesn't have "the rights of a tenant," unless there is a written agreement to the contrary.

"A lot of guests end up coming back," said Noble, who proudly pointed to more than 300 reviews on Airbnb. "We don't need more reviews. It's more about the experience you get when you're there."

Noble has developed an expertise, not only operating his own units, but helping others who want to get into hospitality. He enjoys being a host, as well as the additional income and software that makes the process easier.

The Gibbonses are acutely aware that renting out isn't for everyone. While she knows many who consider offering short-term rentals, Margaret Gibbons said most opt not to, because of the work and imposition on a private property.

But the Gibbonses overall enjoy the process, and meeting guests with various backgrounds. Even though their visitors are paying customers, she said they "view everyone as our guests and try to treat them accordingly."

"We've hosted musicians who played for us, attended guests' art exhibit openings at the local gallery, and shared many stories over a cup of tea," Gibbons said. "Each person has a tale to tell, and we've made many new friends."