Short-term rentals can be a great way to earn money. But the legal relationship between short-term guests and longer-term Tenants is very different.

Short-Term Guests - Short-term guests are like guests in a hotel. They have no "legal interest" in the property. Rather, this is often a "license" that grants a guest to use a certain portion of real estate for a certain period of time. The same landlord/tenant rules that control most issues you'll encounter don't apply to short-term rentals.

If the guest booked the stay on Airbnb or VRBO, the terms on the website will govern. These guests don't sign a lease or otherwise agree to keep the place clean other than as required on the booking website.

Long-Term Tenants - A traditional tenant is granted a leasehold interest in the real estate, not a license. This relationship is what most folks think of as a landlord/tenant.

Unless your lease says others, a Tenant can sublet all or any portion of the property. It's not smart, but if you don't prevent it in your lease, then yes they can.

Here's why it's a bad idea: liability. Your insurance likely doesn't cover short-term rentals. And your lease won't either. If you don't want your house on Airbnb/VRBO, stop it in the lease.

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