Of 244 houses here, 139 (57%) are part-time residences, which makes them more likely to operate such rentals.  One can block off times for personal use while maximizing a return on investment by renting out the other days of the year. 

Just 45 minutes from D.C., Scientists’ Cliffs qualifies as a “getaway weekend,” offering a beach, tennis courts, a large pool, summer programs for kids, ACLT hiking trails – all “for free” and at no extra cost to Airbnb/VRBO renters.  Wooded, semi-rural, friendly, safe.

Even though highly-priced on a per-day basis, Airbnb-type rentals are affordable if they can be shared by two or more couples.  

It is an illusion to think that a proliferation of internet-platform rentals “could never happen here.”  You’ve no doubt seen marketing campaigns from VRBO and Airbnb, not just to vacationers, but to prospective “Hosts.”  Check out services like www.airdna.co for your own market analysis, or www.vacasa.com, which offers to make it easy to run an Airbnb.