Ever since Airbnb first took the sharing economy by storm in 2008, dozens of similar home-away-from-home platforms have sprung up to provide niche travel experiences for consumers seeking alternatives to traditional motels and hotels. It’s been largely a win-win experience for guests and hosts alike: travelers get access to more affordable, unique accommodations, and homeowners get extra income on the side without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. But, did you know that you can make money renting your land for camping?
Beyond the usual Airbnb options – such as renting a room in someone else’s private residence or booking an entire home for yourself and friends or family – multiple websites now let you host and/or book outdoor camping and “glamping” experiences as well.
Make Money Renting Your Land for Camping
Whether you’ve been searching for income-generating hosting opportunities that don’t involve strangers coming into your home or you want to get more value out of your property without investing a ton of time and effort upfront, letting people camp on your land can be a great option for boosting your income on the side. Here’s how to make extra money renting your land for camping.
Host with Hipcamp
One of the most popular peer-to-peer camping sites is Hipcamp, a platform where private property owners can list campsites, RV sites, cabins, yurts, and even treehouses for guests to stay in. It costs nothing to post your listing. Hipcamp takes only a 10% cut from your earnings to cover costs, including 24/7 customer support (for hosts and campers) and up to $1 million insurance coverage for general liability (hosts’ benefit).
Hosts are expected to follow Hipcamp’s hosting standards and list accurate information about their properties for potential guests. Still, beyond this, you’ll have quite a bit of freedom when it comes to deciding when to host, how many campers you’ll permit onsite, how much to charge, etc. Your earning potential on Hipcamp and other private camping websites depends on a variety of factors, including:
- Quality of your site’s listing (photos, detailed descriptions)
- How many guests your property can reasonably accommodate at a time
- Quantity and quality of amenities onsite
- Availability and cost of other campsites in your area
- Weather, time of year and guests’ length of stay
Become a Tentrr CampKeeper
Tentrr is similar to Hipcamp in that it allows hosts to list campsites for free on its platform in exchange for a cut of your profits, but some key differences make Tentrr a worthwhile consideration. For one, Tentrr offers a “Signature” option in which they’ll deliver and install a complete campsite on your property, including a deck, tent, beds, tables, etc. ($6,500 cost).
If you’d prefer that guests bring their own tents and equipment, then Tentrr’s Backcountry listings option would be suitable for you. With Tentrr, you can further boost your income potential by offering fun extras like firewood, farm produce, guided tours, and equipment rentals while renting your land for camping.
Tentrr takes a 20% commission from its hosts’ bookings and offers hosts $2 million in general liability insurance coverage. Their website reports that the average nightly rate for their listings hovers around $135/night, which means this could be an excellent source of revenue on the side for anyone who owns at least a few acres in a desirable location.
Gone Glamping
“Glamping” is a portmanteau of the words “glamorous” and “camping” and refers to luxurious outdoor accommodations that combine the comforts of a hotel experience with the “roughin’ it” vibes of tent camping.
Glamping Hub is a premier glamping platform offering unique, upscale accommodations and lavish experiences for guests who want to enjoy camping without getting dirty, sleeping on the ground, or eating only what you can cook over a campfire. You can join the platform for free, and their in-house marketing team will help you create and manage your listing to maximize your income potential.
While Glamping Hub is a smaller platform than Hipcamp or Tentrr, GH outshines the competition regarding commission fees (4% for confirmed bookings, compared to 10% for Hipcamp or 20% for Tentrr). You’ll need to demonstrate that your site qualifies as a glamping destination during the initial sign-up process, but after that, hosting is a pretty seamless experience with Glamping Hub.
Earning money by letting people camp on your land isn’t as simple as posting a listing and waiting for guests to arrive, but it’s undoubtedly one of the lowest-effort ways to boost your side income while meeting friendly folks from all walks of life.
Whether you decide to offer a luxurious, red carpet glamping experience or offer space on your land for backpackers to pitch their own tents, this can turn into a valuable revenue-generating opportunity with enough time, proper site maintenance, and clear communication with guests as a camp host.
What about you? Have you ever considered making money renting your land for camping? How’d you do it?
This is really interesting. We have 136 – acre tract 90% wooded with creeks and springs. We have miles of atv/horse/hiking trails, offgrid cabin, covered stage with amphitheater and a large historic farmhouse and a 3000 square foot reception hall. We are very interested in building more cabins and tent sites. We are located just outside of Chattanooga. Our venue name is Raulston Woods and Gardens. See us on Facebook for more info.