Setting up a bed and breakfast

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Mamamia22

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Hi. A relative has a large detached house in a housing estate in Dublin. He is interested in renting out several rooms. Someone suggested to him that he might make more profit running a bed and breakfast. Apparently short term lets of rooms provide a reliable monthly cheque from the council. Essentially homeless B and B. He has four unused bedrooms. He could get at least 600 per room through letting rooms, but thinks the B and B option would be more lucrative as it’s on a nightly basis. Anyone know how to go about it?
 
Obviously there are regulations and licensing regarding B & B accommodation.
Start here:

Opening a Bed and Breakfast

How to open a bed and breakfast in Ireland
www.gov.ie

From experience over the last 20 odd years in all parts of Ireland, nearly all today have en suite bathrooms (usually showers only) in every room.
The going rate for B&B in provincial Ireland is ~ €60 a night with a higher tab for Dublin.

At busy periods you would therefore get more from B&B provided you get close to full occupancy.
But full occupancy is hard to achieve except for periods of local events or well-appointed B&Bs close to say a major event centre like the Gleneagle in Killarney.

But be aware that "breakfast" today is a high expectation and high selection offering. In many places it's like what you'd be offered in a 4 start hotel - a range of fruits and juices to select from, good range of cereals, milk (cow and soya) and then a choice of rural, "full Irish" or continental main courses with a choice of teas and coffees. There is usually a range of breads on offer in both brown and white plus the mandatory toast.

What I'm saying is that while B&B can be high revenue, it is also a serious commitment in terms of provisions and service - the latter inevitably involving talking to customers and providing them with information on all sorts of things.

No longer is it enough to slap a couple of rashers and a fried egg before them and walk back to the kitchen without a word.
It's a social and relational commitment as much as an enterprise, be under no illusions on this.
 
Thank you for reply. He was hoping for a more relaxed approach. He is in his 60s and has no intention of taking too much work on board. He has heard of B and Bs that just offer a bed/en-suite. Perhaps some cereal in the morning. They are getting 100/night for homeless accommodation. It’s paid once a month from the council. Change of bed linen once a week is about as much as they do. No hassle is what he is after.
 
I see. Well, B&B is hassle for sure unless you are well-organized and always on top of the job.
You could get part-time local women to do the work but they could never match the commitment of an owner.
And it's the commitment (making a good fuss over each guest in other words) that makes it all profitable since competing B&Bs will provide it.

In USA they have hotels doing Bed & Power Shower (no meals but have internet + TV) for travelling salespeople.
I wonder if it would work for guesthouses in Ireland. But it might if you have decent breakfast joints open early nearby and a clientele that preferred this proposition.
 
peemac said:
Zero tax liability, (up to €14k a year) zero hassle.
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Having lodgers is rarely zero hassle, but if you find the right people it is about 5% the work of running a B&B.

€14k after tax is a pretty decent tax-free income for pretty low effort.
 
1. Most guests prefer to have their meals prepared by a woman as they generally do it better, faster and more hygienically.
No, I haven't polled it. But I know it's true.
As regards bed-making and sending old bedding to the laundry, it doesn't matter. A guesthouse I stayed in when in Dublin has a Chinese couple come in mornings to make the beds (as a paired team, I suppose) and draw away the old bedding.

2. It's easier to get local women for part-time work. Men looking for part-time work tend to do heavier and dirtier stuff like maintenance, gardening, etc.
 
Mamamia,
Your friend will make everyone in the estate very happy when he starts to rent out the large house to homeless b/b tenants. I'm sure the people staying there will be happy to see their bedclothes laundered once a week too. That's only for starters. If you don't go down that route and do the B/B properly I can see it working out real well, especially as he has no idea or experience in the "business". Then again he could do as No Regrets Coyot has advised you, just make sure everything is in order with the new rules and regulations. Car parking might be important too. I'm really surprised that thousands more people with large houses aren't making a fortune, from just simply letting people stay in their properties overnight with very little work involved. Good luck with it.
 
Points taken. He has heard from reliable sources that the county councils are paying top prices for rooms on nightly rates. Is it permissible to to it without reaching Bord Failtes standard ? He just wants to do bed only accommodation at a basic level ? There is a national accommodation crisis. What would his insurance bill look like ? What can the neighbours do about it ? Surely his guests are no one else’s business ?
 
I can't imagine supplying homeless accommodation is going to be no hassle! Now the bulk of people are probably fine but you have no real control do you over the guests?
 
His starting point should be to go and speak to his local county council and outline what he has and find out what the regulations and expectations from the council are and their oversight. Likelihood is that if he is living in the house himself, he may need to be Garda vetted. Also he needs to think what happens during the day and after breakfast, what are these people going to be doing. Unlikely he can send them out during the day.

he also needs to take into account insurance and tax, in effect he is setting up a business. Lastly some homeless people have substance abuse issues that not even the council may be aware of and he needs to think about this also.

Does he really need the money and would he be better off selling the house and downsizing?
 
Mamamia22 said:
There is a national accommodation crisis.
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How does charging €100 a night for room-only with no access to food or cooking facilities do anything at all to address the needs of those unable to afford/ find a suitable home to buy or rent?

Mamamia22 said:
What can the neighbours do about it ? Surely his guests are no one else’s business ?
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If your running of a home business negatively affects your neighbours, they can complain and the local authority have the powers to make him stop under planning legislation.
 
trajan said:
1. Most guests prefer to have their meals prepared by a woman as they generally do it better, faster and more hygienically.
No, I haven't polled it. But I know it's true.
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Wow, that's really very sexist.
trajan said:
2. It's easier to get local women for part-time work. Men looking for part-time work tend to do heavier and dirtier stuff like maintenance, gardening, etc.
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So is that.
 
Come on, Purple .
It is a statement of what I have observed in western society and no more than that.
You might just as easily complain that it was a slash at men in general for being dirty, unpunctual, untidy and slow to tackle housework.
 
Thanks for all the contributions including links etc. The gentleman in question is not looking to upset neighbours. Providing rooms to refugees means that they won’t have to live in a tent. Does anyone know if it is necessary to be Bord Failte registered to call your business a B and B? It is a very basic service that he wants to run. No full Irish breakfasts etc. BF also set out criteria for individual dining tables but he would not have the space for that. There would be a shared sitting room for the guests and access to a shared kitchen in case they wanted to prepare food themselves.
 
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