How to Start a Homestay Business – Entrepreneur

Copyright © 2024 Entrepreneur Media, LLC All rights reserved. Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media LLC
By Shipra Singh • Jan 6, 2020
Share
You’re reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
In 2018, Shivam Chaudhary enlisted a spare bedroom in his Dehradun flat on AirBnb to make some extra money. Two years later, the entire three-BHK apartment is on the online marketplace platform with each room priced at INR 1,400 per night. “Initial income from one room listing was 5 times more than what I had anticipated. The potential business model prompted me to list the entire apartment,” says Chaudhary.
Homestays, bed and breakfast (B&B) or guesthouses—the concept of B&B lodging is fast becoming a popular business model for homeowners who have extra space in their property to spare. As of February 2019, Airbnb alone has about 45,000 listings in India, as announced by the platform’s co-founder and chief strategy officer, Nathan Blecharczyk during a summit.
The concept of homestays is quite simple. You rent out your unused property for short spans to guests travelling in your city. It is different than a hotel as you as a host share the house with your guest and do not have to provide round the clock room or restaurant service, as is the case with a hotel. It does not require heavy infrastructure either and, hence is easy on your pocket.
So, if you love hosting and want to start your own homestay business, here’s a guide on how to go about it.
Also Read: 20 Business Ideas for Stay-at-Home Parents
The easiest way to start is to list your house on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Trip Advisor and Homestays.com. Alternatively, you can also post ads directly on Facebook, Instagram and Google to save on the commission charged on such platforms.
As part of the signing up process, you need to upload identification and property-related documents. You don’t have to pay anything for listing yourself on these portals but they charge a commission of 3-6 per cent for each booking.
There are no restrictions on how much space can be let out. From a single room to an entire floor to a villa, you can let out as much space as you want. Take the case of Goa-based couple Latika Singh and Rahul Singh, who are full-time hosts to a three-story homestay. The duo has let out two floors in their house, keeping the ground floor for their use.
Platforms such as Airbnb let you set your own rate. To begin with, check prices of listings in your area to get an idea about how much can you charge for your space.
Rates are not sacrosanct and can be changed by the owner depending on demand and season. Singhs lower price of their homestay during May-August, as that’s the off season in Goa. Whereas during Christmas and New Year week, they mark-up their prices by 15-20 per cent because of higher demand due to the Sunburn festival.
Chaudhary, on the contrary, doesn’t tinker much with his apartment’s rates. “I get bookings all year round as Dehradun is both a travel destination and a business hub. Bookings drop barely 10-15 per cent during winters, so I don’t usually reset price of my listings,” says the 30-year-old businessman.
If you need the space for your personal use, you can block those dates on the platforms in advance.
Most importantly, before you enlist, figure out the permissions, registration process and other legal requirements of a homestay business in your city. The concept of Airbnb in India is fairly new and so there are no defined rules on whether a homestay qualifies as a commercial business or not. The rules vary across states so it is recommended that you visit the nearest district tourism office to understand the regulations.
Setting up a homestay can cost you anywhere between INR 30,000-50,000. Here’s a breakdown of all the costs involved:
One-time Costs
Recurring Monthly Costs
Income from homestay business will typically depend on how much space you have let out, amenities provided and location of your house. A single room with all basic amenities can be priced anywhere between INR 1,500-2,000.
Bigger spaces like a villa or an entire floor will obviously be priced higher, but gets fewer bookings compared to single rooms. “We have two listings—two rooms on second floor for INR 1,700 each and third floor apartment for INR 3,800. But, we get more bookings for single rooms,” points out Latika. During full season, she gets an average 20 bookings every month for the bedrooms and 10 bookings for entire floor, earning the Singhs INR 40,000-80,000 a month.
If your property is close to tourist spots and gives easy access to public transport, you can price it higher. Also, added amenities such as air-conditioning, running hot water, air-purifier and a functional kitchen usually attract more tourists as opposed to a basic lodging option.
Delhi-based Anmol Bagga has installed air-purifiers in his homestay to tackle air pollution. “I have seen an increase in bookings from foreign tourists ever since I’ve installed air purifiers,” says Bagga, who has listed a two-BHK on Airbnb for INR 3,200 per night.
To give you a ballpark figure, an average booking of 15 days per month of a single room can fetch you INR 18,000-20,000, after removing operational costs and commission of online platforms.
Your can have lean periods depending on the tourist season of your city. For instance, if you are in Rajasthan, you will get very few guests during summers. On the other hand, homestays in Shimla will get few travelers during winters.
For this reason, if your sole income depends on this business be prepared to plan your yearly finances accordingly.
Heritage Walk Business
Online Tutor
Co-working Space
Translator
Entrepreneur Staff
Freelance Journalist
The hardest step is usually the first one, he says. So make it short.
Don't overlook the importance of mindset when you're starting or growing a business.
While technology can boost individual efficiency and effectiveness, it's essential to balance their use with human intuition and creativity to avoid losing personal connection and to optimize workplace satisfaction.
Not every business can be franchised, nor should it. While franchising can be the right growth vehicle for someone with an established brand and proven concept that's ripe for growth, there are other options available for business owners.
Emotional intelligence is just as important as artificial intelligence, and we need it now more than ever.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced new rules for commercial passengers on Wednesday.
Successfully copied link
We'll be in your inbox every morning Monday-Saturday with all the day’s top business news, inspiring stories, best advice and exclusive reporting from Entrepreneur.
Copyright © 2024 Entrepreneur Media, LLC All rights reserved. Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media LLC

source