09/05/2021
Vacation-rental ownership among young adults is on the rise. According to Denver-based vacation-rental management and hospitality company Evolve, the proportion of its homeowners under 30 grew by 100% between June 2019 and June 2021. In comparison, the proportion of its clients between 31 to 56 grew only 17% during that period and the proportion of homeowners between 57 to 75 dropped 11%. Evolve’s properties are bookable on its own website and marketplaces including Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.
This demographic is moving to rental-home ownership despite mortgage hurdles such as lack of credit history, student debt or limited time to save for a down payment. Banks say age itself isn’t an obstacle, as long as the borrower is legal age. A challenge lies in investment loans, which can be more restrictive than primary- and second-home loans, and “ensuring the borrower has a reasonable capacity to make on-time mortgage payments, should there be a disruption in rental income,” says Tom Wind, executive vice president of consumer lending at U.S. Bank.
More home buyers under the age of 30 are getting into the short-term rental game to supplement their incomes and help with the mortgage.