AIRBNB for locations?

My big obstacle is always acquiring locations. Has anyone used Airbnb to find places to shoot? Were you upfront about what you wanted to do? Do the owners come around often when you rent? Could you shoot, and they wouldn't be any wiser if you had a small cast and crew?
 
Airbnb is strictly residences, right? Residences aren't usually that difficult to acquire for location shooting, I wouldn't think. Even if your network of family and associates is pretty small usually someone has a residence you could beg to borrow for your movie. I imagine if you found a dynamite location on Airbnb that you absolutely had to have for your movie you could simply contact the owner and explain your project and negotiate a fee. Interesting idea, though. I've never used Airbnb. Do they have lighthouses or airfields or stuff like that?
 
Airbnb is strictly residences, right? Residences aren't usually that difficult to acquire for location shooting, I wouldn't think. Even if your network of family and associates is pretty small usually someone has a residence you could beg to borrow for your movie. I imagine if you found a dynamite location on Airbnb that you absolutely had to have for your movie you could simply contact the owner and explain your project and negotiate a fee. Interesting idea, though. I've never used Airbnb. Do they have lighthouses or airfields or stuff like that?

I live in Southern California, and many people aren't as receptive to filmmaking as you would imagine for a variety of reasons. None of my friends own a large residence. I'm looking for real world experiences of filmmakers using Airbnb. There's a great listing right now, but they specifically want three times more a film shoot than simply renting it as a vacation spot.
 
There's a great listing right now, but they specifically want three times more a film shoot than simply renting it as a vacation spot.
This tells you something. The owners know they can make more as a
location than as a vacation rental. I don't have real world experience
trying this. But in SoCal property owners are aware of this method of
cheating them. Yes, it's cheating them - they could get three times
more for a film shoot than by renting it as a vacation spot. Even a
small cast and crew is more disruptive to the neighborhood than a
family or couple; you guys will make more noise even if you try not
to; you guys will have more vehicles on the street or in the drive; you
will use more water and more power.

Usually the owners do not come around often. But as you know (living
in Southern California) AirBnB is under scrutiny all over the area. A big
part of the reason is taxes (of course) but most of the issues are
neighbors who don't like the traffic; different people coming and going
all the time. The neighbors tend to be on the look out and ready to make
complaints to the city.

Seems to me you have two options; try it and hope you can finish
shooting before they find out; call and see if they are willing make a
deal - less than their book rate for studios but more than their rate as
a vacation rental.

Let us know what happens.
 
This tells you something. The owners know they can make more as a
location than as a vacation rental. I don't have real world experience
trying this. But in SoCal property owners are aware of this method of
cheating them. Yes, it's cheating them - they could get three times
more for a film shoot than by renting it as a vacation spot. Even a
small cast and crew is more disruptive to the neighborhood than a
family or couple; you guys will make more noise even if you try not
to; you guys will have more vehicles on the street or in the drive; you
will use more water and more power.

Usually the owners do not come around often. But as you know (living
in Southern California) AirBnB is under scrutiny all over the area. A big
part of the reason is taxes (of course) but most of the issues are
neighbors who don't like the traffic; different people coming and going
all the time. The neighbors tend to be on the look out and ready to make
complaints to the city.

Seems to me you have two options; try it and hope you can finish
shooting before they find out; call and see if they are willing make a
deal - less than their book rate for studios but more than their rate as
a vacation rental.

Let us know what happens.

With all due respect and that I've shot three feature films as well as shorts, I
don't feel I'm "cheating" them when the number of allowed guests is equal or
less than the cast and crew. In addition, I feel I would be less disruptive than
someone who was throwing a party with music or having children running
around and screaming. But that's just how I run a shoot.

Are all of the filmmakers on this board who have shot in their apartments also
"cheating" their landlords? In my day job, I see how tenants can
abuse a property so I understand the perspective of the landlords also. I guess
the big issue is what does "renting" mean? If it's not allowed, is it allowed?

And as you probably know also, even being upfront has its problems as well.
People who rent the places as locations for film shoots can be extremely hostile
to cast and crew despite being paid handsomely.
 
With all due respect and that I've shot three feature films as well as shorts, I
don't feel I'm "cheating" them when the number of allowed guests is equal or
less than the cast and crew. In addition, I feel I would be less disruptive than
someone who was throwing a party with music or having children running
around and screaming. But that's just how I run a shoot.
Fair enough. My intent was only to offer a possible alternate perspective.
Not to tell you what to do. Since you don't feel you are cheating the
owner out of a fee then be upfront with them. To me, hiding your intended
use of their property is cheating. Just my opinion, but that's how I run
a shoot.

I guess the big issue is what does "renting" mean? If it's not allowed, is it allowed?
I feel you should be upfront and ask the property what "renting" means to
them. Something you know has its problems. In this case you tell us the
owner charges more to use the property as a location than a vacation rental
- that leads me to believe they feel there is a difference between a film shoot
and a family vacation. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps this specific owner feels
the as long as you pay the rental fee then you can do anything you want during
the rental period.

Are all of the filmmakers on this board who have shot in their apartments also
"cheating" their landlords?
No. But then the landlord doesn't have different rates for filming and short-term
rentals. A long term rental is different than what landlords using AirBnB are doing.

I wish you the best with your shoot.

Let us know what you decide and how it works out. Your experience will be
a big help to all of us fellow filmmakers.
 
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Fair enough. My intent was only to offer a possible alternate perspective.
Not to tell you what to do. Since you don't feel you are cheating the
owner out of a fee then be upfront with them. To me, hiding your intended
use of their property is cheating. Just my opinion, but that's how I run
a shoot.

Most Airbnb rentals have "house rules" that make no specific mention to filming.

Yes, one particular rental specified a different rate for filming than as a vacation
home. For that rental, yes, it would be wrong for me to shoot and not be upfront.
I should have been more clear about that. My consternation is that I could bring dirt
bikes and ATVs and run amok in the pristine environment and yet benign filmmaking
is oddly forbidden. Their place: their rules of course.

Again, I'm hoping filmmakers who have tried this approach can share their experiences
on the board.
 
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