Question for Airbnb/Short-term rental owners/managers?

roxanneb

New Member
Jun 11, 2020
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Hi there!

I am writing an article about starting and managing an Airbnb or short-term rental business in Bali. I think the advice and insights of Airbnb/short-term rental operators would give a lot of value to the article.

If you are an Airbnb/short-term rental owner or manager, it would be much appreciated if you could answer any or all of the following questions:
  1. Did any of Bali's laws or regulations on renting out properties surprise or confuse you when you were starting out?
  2. What is the most challenging thing about running a rental business in Bali?
  3. What advice would you give to other foreigners who want to start a rental business in Bali?

I will be happy to link to your property listings in the article when I quote you.
 

spicyayam

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2009
3,592
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1. Nothing too surprising. But I do remember a Kijang showing up to our place and about 10 government workers getting out and then we had to provide lunch for them.

2. Travel shutdowns, volcanoes, earthquakes, terrorist attacks. Basically any negative reporting of Bali/Indonesia has an impact on tourism, even if the event is not located in the vicinity of your business.

It is not easy like what people think. The only legal option is to start a PMA (foreign company)

3. Find another business (I am serious!). Bali does not need any more hotels/villas. If your reader still wants to start a business they should buy an existing hotel/villa and renovate it.
 

roxanneb

New Member
Jun 11, 2020
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0
1. Nothing too surprising. But I do remember a Kijang showing up to our place and about 10 government workers getting out and then we had to provide lunch for them.

2. Travel shutdowns, volcanoes, earthquakes, terrorist attacks. Basically any negative reporting of Bali/Indonesia has an impact on tourism, even if the event is not located in the vicinity of your business.

It is not easy like what people think. The only legal option is to start a PMA (foreign company)

3. Find another business (I am serious!). Bali does not need any more hotels/villas. If your reader still wants to start a business they should buy an existing hotel/villa and renovate it.
Thank you for your response! Do you have a link for your properties that you'd like to advertise? And how do you want to be referred to in the article?
 

JackStraw

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2017
431
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Yeah I gotta agree with Spicy on this one. Find another business. Bali is completely oversaturated with hotels and shitty cardboard villas for AirBnB rentals. You are contributing to the problem by building another property for the sole purpose of renting only.

Buy a villa and renovate it. or buy a rumah. Much cheaper. I can forsee a future where Denpasar is a cool, trendy city where backpackers will pay to stay in a nice, trendy rumah near lokal markets and a short taxi ride away from the beach
 
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harryopal

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2016
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A significant reality is that no one can really say when tourism may resume. The volatile nature of the epidemic is such that just as things look like they might settle and places may open up again there is cluster and more lockdowns. Melbourne in Australia has just moved to lock down some suburban areas involving about 300,000 people. I suspect that even by the end of next year we may be some way off before people will feel confident that they can travel without arriving somewhere and having to go into compulsory quarantine for at least 14 days.

To open another accommodation facility now is a bit like opening a new piggery just as a huge outbreak of swine flu has swept the country.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
1,110
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Karangasem, Bali
My heart goes out to the villa/hotel/homestay owners that were rubbing their hands with glee as Trip Advisor or some big travel mag nominated Bali as the NUMBER ONE world destination in 2016/17 (I believe) only to have Mt. Agung volcano pop his clogs and put paid to that dream and then the year after a huge earthquakes on Lombok killing thousands and numberless small ones on Bali destroy any hopes for 2018, if I remember rightly. After they weathered all that shit storm then just when everything seems to be going their way again - Cheers! I have a new virus for you :eek:.

My point is advise your readers that insist on a future on Bali to buy an existing business or villa as you will never see deals like they are now! (unless we get some new disaster next year - Tsunami anyone?)
 

PERtoDPS

Active Member
Dec 31, 2018
549
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Personally I'd be going at it more from the local market/boarding house route at this point. The people that live and study in the city need somewhere to sleep and they'll settle for a mattress and bucket shower would be my suspicion.
 
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roxanneb

New Member
Jun 11, 2020
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Thanks for your inputs and insights on my questions! These are all very helpful!