MITCHELL — Turning rental properties into Airbnbs wasn’t exactly what the Reimnitz family had in mind for some of their local properties, but they say it turned into a wise move.
As a few of the Reimnitz family’s rental properties in Mitchell sat vacant for extended periods, Destiny Reimnitz, manager of Mid-Dakota Properties, mulled over listing them on the Airbnb app. Upon opening a few properties to Airbnbers, Reimnitz said they attracted guests almost instantly.
“The demand is huge, and it’s wide-ranging,” Reimnitz said. “It gives us a nice supplemental income. We originally stumbled into it, but we saw there is a huge need for Airbnb properties in Mitchell.”
Rather than letting a property sit vacant, Reimnitz has found a way to monetize all of their rentals through opening certain properties up to Airbnb.
Airbnb is an online marketplace that people can use to rent a home or property in an area where they may be traveling to for a vacation or temporary stay. For those who are interested in opening their homes up for Airbnb stays, Reimnitz said the process is smooth and easy.
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From athletic teams to traveling nurses, Reimnitz said their Airbnb properties have welcomed a wide range of guests.
“We had an entire team stay out at one of our Airbnbs on the lake during a recent swim meet in Mitchell,” she said.
As for what’s driving the demand for Mid-Dakota Properties’ Airbnbs, Reimnitz pointed to the growing trend of remote working and the recent loss of a popular Mitchell hotel as two major factors.
“As more people started working from home during COVID-19, we saw people who wanted to travel around the country and still work their job. They would do short-term stays at our Airbnbs and take in the area, pack up and do the same thing in another state,” she said. “It’s perfect for people who want to travel.”
Since the Ramada Inn in Mitchell closed its doors in early January, Reimnitz said she’s seen an uptick in Airbnbers at their properties. The price range for nightly stays at the property management company’s is comparable to some hotels as well.
The latest property the Reimnitz family has welcomed to Airbnbers is a 5,870-square-foot home with five bedrooms and an indoor basketball court. Boyd Reimnitz, owner of Mid-Dakota Properties, recently purchased the house that sits along the west side of Lake Mitchell to make his residence and share with others for various occasions.
While Airbnbs are commonly used for short-term stays that typically can range from two days to a week, Reimnitz said there is a misconception that all of Mid-Dakota Properties’ Airbnbs are short-term vacation rentals.
At one of the company’s four-plex properties, Reimnitz said several units require at least a two-week stay. Reimnitz said some of their properties allow one-month stays.
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“People have no idea that Airbnbs can be long-term stays,” Reimnitz said. “I’ve had so many people say there are no places where they can do a whole month's stay.”
Filling worker shortages, attracting long-term residents
As many Mitchell businesses grapple with the worker shortage, some of Reimnitz’s Airbnb properties have provided temporary housing for workers who are filling a need for some local industries.
“We have traveling nurses come in who will rent for a couple months and work here,” she said. “We’ve had people who were building a grain bin, and they needed a place for two weeks.”
In some instances, Reimnitz said Airbnb stays led to long-term lease agreements at some of their Mitchell properties. With the housing shortage Mitchell is facing, Reimnitz's Airbnbs have provided a temporary landing spot until a house opens up.
“I just had a lady who stayed at one for six months, and then she ended up doing a regular long-term lease with us,” Reimnitz said, noting Airbnb has provided a unique form of marketing Mid-Dakota Properties’ available units. "We had another person who was struggling finding a home, and the Airbnb we had was able to give them a soft landing until they found one."
Although Mid-Dakota Properties has found success in the Airbnb market, Reimnitz said not all of their properties are available for Airbnb. The Reimnitz’s have been selective in deciding which properties are viable. Large apartment buildings and certain types of residential rental homes are among some of the properties that Reimnitz said the company exclusively utilizes for long-term tenants.
While the Airbnb market has been a success for the local property managers, Reimnitz said she’s grateful that the city of Mitchell allows the company to provide the type of Airbnb services they’ve been offering over the past few years, as she knows that’s not always the case in some cities.
In Chamberlain, city officials adopted an ordinance in November that banned certain types of residential properties to serve as a lodging establishment for guests that planned to stay fewer than 30 days.
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The ordinance that the Chamberlain City Commission passed prohibits “transient commercial use” of residential properties in low- and moderate-density residential zones.
“It’s great the city of Mitchell allows us to do Airbnb. We are providing a serious need in the community,” she said.
