You Can Earn Extra Money by Letting Dogs Play in Your Backyard
If you have a backyard and want to earn passive income, there’s an app for you: Sniffspot connects dog owners with people with fully fenced yards who are willing to rent their land on an hourly basis. Described as the “Airbnb for off-leash playgrounds,” Sniffspot has about 7,000 hosts in over 1,500 cities in the United States and offers services in Canada, Europe, and New Zealand .
How does sniff spot work?
To list your property on Sniffspot, it must meet certain criteria. First, it must be a place accessible without passing through a private residence. In addition, the space must be safe and free from hazards, including plants that are poisonous to dogs, unfenced areas near busy streets, empty or padded pools, dangerous wildlife that prey on dogs (such as alligators, rattlesnakes, or bears), or live electric fences.
Once your host zone is up and running, you will set an hourly rate and receive orders from interested parties. Sniffspot requires all customers to prove that their dogs are up to date with all vaccinations and flea/parasite protection and include in their terms of service that dog owners are required to clean up after their dogs and leave the place as they found it. Sniffspot also doesn’t require the host to be present to monitor how the client is using the space; once they’ve paid for the booking, you’re done. In addition, Sniffspot provides hosts with primary liability coverage up to $2,000,000 in the event of a third party claim for personal injury (to dogs or people) or property damage related to a booked Sniffspot visit.
How to get orders on Sniffspot
According to Sniffspot, their first positions get most of their business from loyal customers. To get new customers interested, Sniffspot has several offerings . First, add at least ten photos to your ad. Ads with more than ten photos get ten times more bookings than ads with less than ten photos, according to Sniffspot.
Second, they recommend adding amenities to your list—popular amenities include dog-friendly water parks (baby pools, sprinklers, etc.), hiking trails, agility equipment, and “parkour obstacles” for dogs. In addition, properties with an annex or portable toilet receive 5.5 times more bookings. Other popular amenities include dog bags, trash cans, and hand sanitizer.
Finally, your ad should encourage guests who liked it to write reviews about your establishment. Solid reviews will lead to more bookings; Airbnb, for example, reports that listings double bookings after they receive more than ten reviews.
How much money can you make from Sniffspot?
Sniffspot boasts that users are earning up to $1,500 per month, but your true earning potential is the combination of your market activity and the attractiveness of your place. Listing costs $15 an hour on average, but according to founder Dave Adams, hosts charge between $4 and $50 an hour to use their space, with the price depending on their location, yard size, and any amenities they have. included.
You’ll have to split your earnings with Sniffspot, but from the total hourly rate, you’ll see a pretty decent cut: Sniffspot charges a 22% fee for operating and marketing expenses, as well as 2.9% for covering credit card payment processing. They also charge a flat fee of $0.30 per booking. In total, if you list your property for $15 an hour, you will receive a total of $10.96 in taxable income. Not bad if you let some puppies run around your yard.