Airbnb Superhost Shares Advice for Building a Tiny Backyard ADU

What’s in Today’s Episode:

Ally sits down with Diana to talk about how she turned a broken-down backyard shed into an income-generating Airbnb rental. They discuss the challenges of ADU permitting, design choices they made to make the space feel larger, and what it’s like to be an Airbnb host.

“Oakland embraced that ADUs (accessory dwelling units) are part of the solution to the solution to the housing crisis in California and that allowing families to build these units in their backyard actually keeps families in their homes when they are outgrowing them, and it adds rental space…”

What Ally and Diana Chat About:

Diana’s first time learning and using Airbnb
Starting out as an Airbnb host inside their home
Deciding to convert the shed into a tiny house
Getting permits for an ADU in California
The growing acceptance of ADUs and tiny houses
Importance of natural light in a small space
Creating extra storage for their home with the ADU
Wins and challenges they faced in designing and creating their tiny rental
Other ways they use the space when it’s not being rented
What she would change
Being an Airbnb host during the COVID-19 pandemic
Hosting on Airbnb Plus vs. regular Airbnb
Costs to build and how much income the rental generates
Diana’s upcoming Airbnb hosting course- live in April!
Advice for future hosts

“People often ask me ‘how do I market my Airbnb, how do I get media?’ and its really that you can’t do that unless you have a great looking, well-designed space. I think it’s important to design a space with your guests in mind, not just yourself…”