Airbnb offers a variety of options for those traveling to St. Louis. There’s a tiny house once featured on HGTV. A Mac museum. And one very curious spot that refers to itself as the Jedi Temple. You can find over 300 listings in the city, and even more if you include the surrounding suburbs.
Brenda Achenbach is an attorney by day and an Airbnb host by night. She has been on Airbnb for about a year and a half even though she’s never stayed in one herself. She decided to list her house because it’s “just a little too big.”
She makes enough money each month to cover her student loan payment and always has a little leftover for spending money.
Elsie Tuttle, a South Grand resident who shares her home with a roommate, only recently listed her house on Airbnb, but has stayed in Airbnbs across the country. She knew she wanted to list her home when she bought it last year and now rents the carriage house in her backyard in addition to the spare rooms in her house. Based on her first few months, she expects to make between $1,000 and $2,000 a month depending on the time of year.
Tuttle uses the extra money to renovate her home. “We’ve had several guests who have come back a second time within a month, and they’ve commented that it’s fun to see what we’re working on.”
Perhaps the biggest misconception about Airbnb is that it’s just for young people. Tuttle says her first guest was an older gentleman who had a daughter her age. “It was his first time staying in an Airbnb. He told me that he really didn’t know how it works, but he really likes it.”
Achenbach has had guests moving to St. Louis for school and others on cross-country road trips. “I had this great pair of retired teachers from Florida who were absolutely hilarious. I had two German couples and a couple from the UK in for a wedding. Other than that, it’s mostly American kids or families traveling.”
Both Achenbach and Tuttle agree that the most difficult aspect of hosting is creating a schedule for meeting guests when they arrive and making sure everything is in order for their arrival. Achenbach gives herself a day between guests so she has time to get ready for the next visitor.
Tuttle schedules arrivals around her schedule, which she says is a bit irregular. Hosting is not without work. Sheets and towels have to be washed and ready for new guests. “If we have five guests in a row that are only staying one night, that’s a lot of turnover,” says Tuttle.
“I get some people who seem to be confused that they’re not booking the Holiday Inn,” says Achenbach. “They’re just confused that it’s not my job.” When one guest messaged her that he was going to be arriving at 2 a.m., she told him that he would have to arrive at a different time when she would be awake.
His response? “You are of no use to me.”
But generally, Achenbach hasn’t bad experiences as a host. “I’ve had weird things happen because people have different habits,” she laughs. She thought one guest took her bedding, only to find out that they put it in the washer for her when they left.
“We’ve made amazing connections,” says Tuttle.
Achenbach receives Christmas cards from past guests, and Tuttle has been invited to stay with guests if she’s ever traveling through their city.
A lot of guests book on Airbnb when they travel to St. Louis for work or prior to relocating to the area. “They’re really excited to meet people and get to know the area,” says Tuttle. “And Airbnb allows them to really experience a neighborhood.”
