Springfield MA Named Top-10 Worst US City to Own Vacation Rental
A new report from LawnStarter - a lawn-care marketplace, which presumably deals with a lot of vacation rental properties - names Springfield, MA as the #6 worst US city in which to own a vacation rental property.
LawnStarter rated 182 of the largest US cities on 18 dimensions including:
- Legal restrictions
- Occupancy rates
- Revenue potential
- Operating expenses
Ten cities found to be the worst in which to own a vacation rental were:
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Sunnyvale, CA
- Pasadena, CA
- Des Moines, IA
- San Francisco, CA
- Springfield, MA
- Long Beach, CA
- Palmdale, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
80% of these cities being in California stems primarily from high investment and operating costs coupled with laws that incentivize long-term rentals and home ownership at the expense of short-term rentals.
Nationwide, some Airbnb hosts reported major decreases in occupancy rates and margins, perhaps related at least in part to a shift of consumer preference back to hotels in light of widespread media reports of hidden cameras and excessive guest rules and chore-lists.
