Vacation Rentals During Spring Break- West Campus/North Campus
As Spring Break approaches for students at The University of Texas or Austin Community College plans are being made to celebrate and enjoy SXSW. For many, it’s a chance to get out of town with family, go skiing, visit a beach and all those fun vacation activities. You also might be thinking, this is a good chance to rent out my apartment or condo to some travelers for SXSW. Why not make some extra money? After all, you’re not staying there for over a week.
Well, let me tell you why this is NOT a good idea. In theory it sounds great but you’re forgetting your lease obligation as a tenant, not an owner of the property. Most leases, whether TAA or TAR have a clause that state the amount of days a guest is allowed to stay in the unit. These numbers are typically anywhere between 3 and 5 days and by disregarding your lease obligation, your owner may be subject to taking legal action against you or terminate the lease.
Another reason why this is not a good idea is that The City of Austin has required all vacation rentals to be registered with the city in order to be approved for the rental. Meaning, that if your unit is not registered as a vacation rental and you get caught, the owner of the property will face fines from the city and in return could get you in legal trouble as well. Not to mention if any damage is caused to your property, not only is your security deposit at risk but it could cost more and you’ll be out those extra bucks you made by having a guest.
As cool as it sounds to host artists, travelers, producers, musicians, etc. The hipness of the action could potentially get you in trouble and take out the reward of the experience. Do yourself and your owners a favor and just keep your doors locked and outside lights on at your home base here in Austin, TX. Unless of course, you have permission from your owner and the unit is registered as a vacation rental.
On that note, ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK!