Make the most of being a host

Tempted to jump on the Airbnb bandwagon? Before you run out to buy those extra sheets in the January sales, you may want to consider the possible pitfalls, writes Vic O’Sullivan

Over 22,000 Irish Airbnb hosts have opened their doors to the lucrative phenomenon that started in California a decade ago, when two cash-strapped friends rented home floor space aboard an air mattress in San Francisco’s choked hospitality market.

This incident spawned the name of a multibillion euro industry that has arrived with a bang on Ireland’s shores. The €115 million annual spend in this peer-to-peer market is making short-term room rental serious business ...