How to Rent out a Room in your House as a Crashpad for Airline Crew

Homeowners with empty rooms to spare can look to "crashpads" as a temporary solution to help meet their house payment or as a way to offset their expenses. Here is how you can turn a spare bedroom in your house into a crashpad.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Spare Bedroom

1. To find crew members actively looking for rentals, landlords can post their crashpads at websites including www.airlinecommuter.com, www.crashpads.com, www.craigslist.org and www.airlinecrew.net. Set your prices based on what other crashpads in your area are going for, while considering the number of beds per room and any extra amenities.
2. Know that with Hawaiian, Skybus and ATA all calling it quits this year, airline personnel are feeling the strain of budget cuts and worries about job security. And although some may consider a hotel to be a more comfortable solution than bunking with strangers, a crashpad is a bargain, considering that the cost of a hotel room ranges from about $100 to $150 a night near LAX, so crew members are looking for alternatives and are preferring crashpads that have kitchen privileges, Wi-Fi, nearby restaurants or a grocery store, laundry and, of course, close proximity or convenient transportation to the airport. Offering a lot of these amenities in your home will help you get you more guests.
3. If you are in close proximity to an airport and can offer some of these amenities you can start setting up a crashpad. Start simple by offering a comfortable bed and linens, t.v., computer, magazines and private bathroom to give both of you privacy. Look at your spare bedroom as a hotel room and make sure everything is fresh and clean.
4. If you do not have a private bathroom in your spare bedroom but you do in your own bedroom, you may decide to switch rooms. You would feel more comfortable using the bathroom down the hall and you would run into your guest less often if they did not have to leave their room to use the bathroom.
5. Leases are rarely used with crashpads, which largely rely on verbal agreements.
   
   But, do post some rules and leave it in the bedroom. Behind the door in a frame like they do in hotel rules would work fine. When you are placing your ad, you may want to also mention the rules.
   
   And legal experts recommend you check with your lender first -- the terms of your mortgage may require you to seek permission before renting out a spare room.
6. Rental income from a crashpad must be reported on your taxes. According to the Internal Revenue Service, updates, repairs and upkeep for a room rented in your own home can be deducted.
7. Offering a comfortable place with amenities and thinking of your spare bedroom as a hotel room, will guarantee returning guests.