Last updated on June 22nd, 2023
Are you interested in achieving financial independence through passive income? Here’s a disclaimer: you don’t need to own a property to start the Airbnb rental arbitrage business! In this article, we featured the entire process of Airbnb rental arbitrage in Oxford, its profitability, and the best areas and neighborhoods. Continue reading to learn more about short-term regulations and ways to convince landlords to sublet properties for rental arbitrage!
What is Rental Arbitrage?
Rental Arbitrage is a way to start an Airbnb business with no money. By convincing landlords to lease you a property, you can furnish and sublease it on Airbnb and VRBO. No need for you to buy a property!
It is perfectly legal and is a proven scalable business model. In my podcast, I have spoken to various entrepreneurs doing Airbnb arbitrage full-time.
Here’s a proof! In Oxford, Anne manages 10 listings and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t own the all properties. She made £187,871 in the last 12 months.
How much can I make with rental arbitrage in Oxford?
Before you dive in and start putting out your hard-earned money on a property, it’s important to know how much profit you can make. For instance, the best borough to invest in is Oxford City Centre located in the OX1 district! The rental demand in this area is stable because of the university accommodation providers and business professionals.
Now that we have the best neighborhood to invest in Oxford, let’s talk about profitability and monthly expenses.
Profit & Monthly Expense in Oxford
Based on Airbtics’ data, you can earn a whopping £5,850 per month for a 2-bedroom apartment in Oxford City Centre alone. With the data provided, you can certainly tell that investing in a property in Oxford is profitable!
| Average Rent Price | Airbnb Monthly Revenue | Monthly Expense | Monthly Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1,855 | £5,850 | £1,170 | £2,825 |
Source: Airbtics dashboard
The monthly profit can be calculated by subtracting the Airbnb monthly revenue, the rental price and monthly expense (£5,850-£1,855-£1,170= £2,825).
Startup Cost in Oxford
Now that you have an overview of how much your monthly expense and revenue is, let’s talk about the start-up cost! How long does it take for an investor like you to get back the startup cost? Let’s take a look at this calculation:
| Total Startup Cost (Average startup cost + 2 months rent price) | Cash Return Time |
|---|---|
| £5,710 | 2 months |
The average estimated startup cost (for furnishing) in Oxford is around £2,000. To compute the total startup cost, it is necessary to add the 2 months of average rent price (£3,710). Now that we have a total startup cost of £5,710, cash return time can be calculated by dividing this by the Airbnb monthly revenue (£2,825).
Given your monthly revenue of £2,825, it will take approximately less than 2 months time to get back the startup cost! In such a short period of time, you can already expect profit and consider starting your second unit for rental arbitrage. If this sounds promising to you, then go ahead and look at the other best areas for rental arbitrage in Oxford!
Best Areas for Rental Arbitrage in Oxford
Before investing in a particular area in Oxford, you have to take a look at the top markets and number of listings to set your expectations for success. Check out the top 3 neighbourhoods in Oxford ranked by their annual revenue, along with their occupancy & daily rates!
1. Oxford City Centre (OX1)
This area has driven a huge rental demand due to the exceptional job opportunities and student accommodations available. In Oxford City Centre, investors can expect a yield of 4%. Here’s what you can expect in this neighbourhood:
| Type of Bedrooms | Average Rent Price (pcm) | Average Airbnb Revenue | Occupancy Rates | Average Daily Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | £1,325 | £3,659 | 76% | £172 |
| 2-bedrooms | £1,855 | £5,850 | 80% | £222 |
| 3-bedrooms | £2,788 | £3,672 | 66% | £260 |
According to our Airbtics Dashboard, there are more than 32 Airbnb listings with 7 private room properties and 20 one-bedroom properties in this area. The monthly revenue for most properties in Oxford City Centre is more than £2,825 per month with occupancy being more than 61%.
2. Cowley Road (OX4)
This neighborhood is also considered one of the best areas in Oxford for buy-to-let because of its profitability, cheap properties, and a rental yield of 5%! Known as the fashionable residential spot, here’s what you can expect in this neighbourhood:
| Type of Bedrooms | Average Rent Price (pcm) | Average Airbnb Revenue | Occupancy Rates | Average Daily Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | £979 | £2,495 | 73% | £135 |
| 2-bedrooms | £1,291 | £2,954 | 72% | £200 |
| 3-bedrooms | £1,616 | £4,206 | 73% | £256 |
This area has a total of 125 Airbnb listings with 45 private room properties and 75 one-bedroom properties. The monthly revenue for most properties in Cowley Road is more than £1,748 per month with occupancy being more than 56%.
3. Jericho and Park Town (OX2)
Last but not least, Oxford’s independent area that offers an incredible nightlife experience, Jericho & Park Town! This area is often attractive to young professionals and students from nearby universities. Here’s what you can expect in this neighbourhood:
| Type of Bedrooms | Average Rent Price (pcm) | Average Airbnb Revenue | Occupancy Rates | Average Daily Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | £1,328 | £3,227 | 74% | £172 |
| 2-bedrooms | £1,847 | £5,111 | 85% | £234 |
| 3-bedrooms | £2,523 | £7,367 | 71% | £317 |
This area has a total of 71 Airbnb listings with 19 private room properties and 34 one-bedroom properties in this area. The monthly revenue for most properties in Jericho & Park Town is more than £3,370 per month with occupancy being more than 61%.
Short-term rental regulations in Oxford
To begin with, it’s certainly important to be familiar with the Airbnb rules in Oxford to make sure that your business will run smoothly. Here are some of the short-term rental regulations and laws to take note of:
- Required to apply for planning permission when there is a ‘material change’ in the use of a property through Oxford City Council.
- It is required to pay council tax in Oxford.
How to Find Landlords for Airbnb Rental Arbitrage
Airbnb investment through rental arbitrage is one of the best strategies to have passive income. However, it could be a challenge to find a landlord that allows their property for subletting on Airbnb. You can also convince a landlord by following the rental arbitrage email template & be extra creative!
Here are ways how you can find landlords that allow Airbnb rental arbitrage:
- Real Estate Websites
Renters in the digital world who are looking for properties online can easily connect with landlords. Some of the most recommended online real estate websites which allow you to filter by city, state, or ZIP code are:
However, you can also find apartment & condominium properties online in the following websites:
Search Engines & Marketplaces
There are numerous property owners who are leasing their properties and you can easily find them on Google & online marketplaces. Check out some of the most recommended marketplaces:
- Craigslist allows renters to specifically state what kind of property they are looking for. You can try typing in ‘landlords allowing Airbnb’ or ‘sublease property in (city name)’ and try other keywords to get you on the right track.
- Facebook marketplace has a vast community of landlords & renters, so you can try joining the right groups to lead you on the right path. Here are some of the finest Facebook groups that you can join:
Communicate with Landlords
If you are currently renting a space or know someone who is, then it’s also recommended to speak with them. Start by asking if there are vacant rooms or properties and let them know about your intentions of putting them up for rental arbitrage. They might also be able to recommend neighbors or local friends who are also interested in this idea!
