Things to know before you book on Airbnb

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Whether it is for vacation or business, a growing number of travelers are checking out of traditional hotels and checking into something known as home sharing.

For people with an extra bedroom, garage apartment, or studio space to spare, it's a way to make money renting it out. But there are some red flags to turning your house into a hotel.

Houston homeowner Dixie Friend rents out the studio apartment behind her house through a website called Airbnb. The site is one of several where people can make extra money by turning their extra space into a hotel of sorts.

"They have their kitchen. I stock their fridge with yogurt, cabinets with coffee and tea," said Friend. "There are writers who come here to work on books as kind of a retreat."

Attorney Kimberly Moss says the trend is growing, but there are things to consider before trying it out. Most importantly, make sure it is allowed where you live.

"If you own your house outright, you're probably okay. But there are certain homeowner associations and condo boards who might take issue with you using your property in that way," Moss said.

It might be most difficult for those living in apartments. The Houston Apartment Association says violating a lease could get a tenant evicted. Homesharing not only opens up your home to others, but also gives outsiders access to the building and your neighbors.

"A lot of leases are going to prohibit that," said VP Public Affairs Houston Apartment Association, Andy Teas.

While Airbnb has an ID verification system, it does not perform full background checks.

"Any time that you're renting your residence out to strangers without any kind of a background check, there are probably some things even worse that being evicted," Teas said.

However, Airbnb does pride itself on taking responsibility for any property damage that might occur. The company offers a host guarantee of $1 million to cover damage to property.

"Things get broken or damaged and Airbnb takes care of it right away," Friend said.

Airbnb will soon also offer host protection insurance to cover any injuries.

But Moss warns it might not be enough and advises anyone to check unexpected laws.

"Get a consultation with an attorney because everyone's situation is going to be different," Moss said. "Essentially if you let someone stay in your house for more than about 30 days, you've created a landlord tenant arrangement."

Still, Friend says her experience has been positive, and she uses Airbnb in her travels.

"It's interesting to stay in someone else's space after hosting, and I can tell them some things that would make it a lot better," Friend said.