Making money by renting out your home has become a fairly common way for many people to use their house to generate some extra income, using sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Some people have even used their pools to create cash flow on sites like Swimply. But a dog?
But what if you don’t have a pool, or don’t want people living in your home and sleeping in your beds?
Well, if you have a yard, you might be able to turn a profit by letting your yard go to the dogs… in a good way!
Your Yard Could Be Someone Else’s Private Dog Park
Forbes recently reported that there 65.1 million households with dogs, and 14% of dog owners said that they moved from an apartment to a house so their dog would have a yard.
Unfortunately, as much as they may want to, not every dog owner is able to either buy their own house, or one with a yard. Which is probably why, according to this Realtor Magazine article, local dog owners may be willing to pay to use your yard as a private dog park.
Homeowners around the country are using sites such as Sniffspot to market their properties and rake in some extra cash by renting out their yards by the hour. (Both the article and Sniffspot cite that some owners are making as much as $3,000 per month!)
Much like Airbnb listings, what you have to offer could impact how much you can make. Users are able to search for properties that have fully fenced-in yards, agility courses, or even if there’s a pool, pond, or other water feature their pup can enjoy.
If you use that site as a way to market your property, they only allow you to rent to one dog owner at a time, so they get private time in your yard, without having to worry about the doggy dynamics that come with going to a crowded public dog park.
Unless you want to poke your head out and meet the people and their pooches, hosts aren’t even required to make contact with their guests. And, you don’t have to worry about picking up their poop, because owners are required to clean up before leaving.
Not a bad way to earn some money you can use to pay your mortgage, property taxes, or a crazy vet bill for your own pet!
But before you do, make sure to think these things through…
As easy and appealing as it may seem to simply enter some info on a website and sit back and wait for the money to roll in, you should take the time to think through what you’re getting yourself into, and whether you should do it at all. Here are a few things to look into before taking the leap into starting your own private dog park business:
- Is there a market for it in your area? Not that it matters all that much, since you can basically list your yard on that site for free, but you also don’t want to get too excited about the prospects without considering who your local market might be. For instance, if you live in an area where everyone has their own backyard, you might not have many people who need to use yours. But, if there’s a nearby town with a lot of condo complexes or apartment buildings with no private yards, they may be willing to take a 15 minute drive to use your backyard oasis.
- Check to make sure it’s permitted in your municipality. While the site claims they’ve never found an area that didn’t permit people to rent out their yards, every area has their own rules and regulations. So make sure your municipality will allow you to do it, and check to see if they require a special permit or license to do so.
- Check to make sure it’s OK with your neighbors. Technically, if your town or city permits it, your neighbors really shouldn’t have a say in whether or not you rent out your backyard, but it’s a neighborly thing to do, and could go a long way in avoiding potential issues. After all, you’re going to be inviting total strangers to use your yard, so they ought to know ahead of time that they’ll be seeing some new people (and their dogs) coming and going.
- Check to make sure your homeowners insurance company allows it. The site mentioned above claims to provide coverage for damage or accidents, but that doesn’t mean your insurance company doesn’t need to know. Make sure to run it by them, and be willing to pay extra premium in order for them to provide the necessary coverage in case there is an incident.
The Takeaway:
Renting out your home for extra cash isn’t limited to Airbnb or Vrbo. With millions of dog owners seeking yard space, homeowners are making money by renting out their backyards to them on an hourly basis. But before you leap into doing this with your own yard, make sure to:
- Check with your local authorities in regard to any rules and regulations that might exist.
- Speak with your neighbors to make them aware of your intentions, and ideally get their blessing to do so.
- Make sure your homeowners insurance company approves of your plan, and that you have the appropriate coverage in case something happens.