KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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With the World Cup less than 100 days away, many people are considering renting out a room in their home for visiting soccer fans.
Anita Cordell has been renting her Blue Springs basement for the past three years. She remodeled the flooded area into what she calls the Blue Safari Basement Lodge.
Cordell's listing on Airbnb shows the safety measures in place for her guests, like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, but also what she has to protect her home.
"If you're wanting to use your personal property as a short term rental, make sure that you feel safe," said Cordell. "What we did was we added extra camera security outside. We also added some security to go into our entryway into the house. We added some special security there so that we feel personally safe."
Tyler Shirk is the owner of Bearbnb Short Term Rentals based in Raytown, managing over 100 properties in the Kansas City area.
He says rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO also have safety measures in place, but it isn't the same across the board. Shirk said to be vigilant when choosing where to list. Things like security cameras and noise monitors can help protect a host.
"Screen that guest. Don't be afraid to ask them, you know, hey, what are you coming for? Who's gonna be coming with you?" Shirk said. "You don't have to host anybody."
Shirk says if you want to rent and host for the World Cup, first check your local rules and regulations. Then, decide if you want to list it yourself or have a property manager help you. A property manager will likely take a portion of your revenue, but can be someone who monitors the property leaving you worry free. Shirk also recommends setting expectations for your listing.
Above all, be prepared to be ready to host international guests.
"Welcome these people. We want to show them Kansas City hospitality, you know?" Shirk said. "You're going to have language barriers. You're going to have cultural differences."
Shirk says March through May is really going to be the peak time for World Cup bookings. He recommends staying patient these next couple of months before you unlist.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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