With a little upfront work and low investment (check out our Life inTents Bell Tents), you can join the growing glamping trend by sharing your property with adventurous travelers from around the country. Top-performing Airbnb tent hosts in North America earned on average $15,000 per tent listing after becoming an Airbnb tent host.
Glamping Tent + AIRBNB = Extra income
Are you interested in becoming a tent host on Airbnb? Learn more, list your space, or get help with any questions here.*
Is Your Location Desirable for a Glamp Site?
Would anyone actually want to stay in your backyard? Do you live in a desirable place that’s near a popular destination, or alternatively, a remote location that’s nestled in nature and far from cities and hotels? Do you have unique activities for guests to be entertained or to exercise?
You don’t have to be in a particularly busy area to make a backyard tent rental worth it. Access to trails, vistas, lakes, vineyards, beaches, or restaurants that are just a short drive away create built-in demand for a glamping business. Also keep in mind any local festivals or events that require additional local lodging for an influx of visitors (festivals, holidays, conferences, school vacations, etc.).
You’ve already won half the battle if you can say “Yes” to any of the above!
How Much Money Can I Earn With A Glamping Business?
Becoming a glamping host will fill your emotional bank with joy and pride as you share your property with happy glampers. But your bank account also needs to be looked after as well. You’ll need to do the math based on your unique situation to confirm that your forecasted income exceeds your ongoing expenses—anticipating a financial investment for your initial site build and asset purchases.
We’d recommend starting small for the first season, say one to three units, then growing from there. Let’s do some back-of-the-envelope math on what your ROI could be based on average furnishing costs ($1,500) and amenities ($500) when using one of our tents ($1,600).
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Average nightly rental rate $125 x 55 Total nights booked = $6,875 Gross Revenue
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Investment: (~$3,600)
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Year 1 Gross Income: $3,275
That is for year one. Year two earnings could be much higher per tent since you don’t need to buy a new tent and furnishings, and your positive host reviews on Airbnb will hopefully help to secure even more bookings.
Not only can our bell tent bring relatively easy, passive income to your property, but there's also the added benefit of travelers arriving at your doorstep enjoying your property. If you want to keep to yourself and don’t dig conversation with strangers, OK, that’s cool. But for many of us, the possibility of sharing coffee and stories with a few kind adventurers every once in a while—in your own backyard—seems like a real nice perk.
Are you interested in becoming a tent host on Airbnb? Maybe you are interested in starting a pop-up glamping business instead.
Life inTents
November 10, 2022
@SANDY KALISCH
As you might expect, your questions do not have one clear answer. With Canvas tents, it really is all about how you maintain them. We do have many clients that utilize our tents all year-round and even in the snow with much success. Our canvas tents are also treated for mold / mildew resistance as well as waterproofed. The big thing is the maintenance. If someone were to simply use the tent on nice sunny weekends and put it away, not much maintenance would be needed. However, for your type of set-up your tent can last for many years, with the right care.
If the tent is put up on a deck, you would go straight on the deck (no ground tarp needed). This will allow water to escape. A cover or a FLY would also be a great addition as it protects the tent from the elements and also allows snow to easily slide off. Allowing even a few inches of snow to build on a tent could create thousands of extra pounds and could cause issues. *This option could not be used if you were putting in a stove due to the pipe. So building some over covered structure to protect the tent from snow would likely be a good idea if you can’t regularly monitor it in the winter
We would suggest, with a tent on a deck all year round, to clean and re-treat with weather proofing 1-2 times per year. Maybe before taking down for the season you clean, dry and re-treat so it is ready to go! (and ALWAYS be sure the tent is completely dry before packing up). This, in addition to making sure all the lines are properly taught and the tent is put up properly will allow you to enjoy your LIT tent for many years!