Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 154 posts

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#11

Post by opportune »

dangerboysteve wrote: post #10

A couple of things to consider for the homeowner, increases in property taxes and insurance but also the taxable revenue from the rental and its impact on personal taxes you will have to pay. And then there is resale value for a property that is locked into multi year agreement.

>increases in property taxes

Not an issue in the bay area

>the taxable revenue from the rental and its impact on personal taxes

Progressive income taxation should make this moot. Also many expenses are likely tax-deductible. Combined with FHA terms, mortgage interest deduction, etc. and this is actually rather tax-advantaged over regular rentals

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#12

Post by cheriot »

Ibethewalrus wrote: post #8
dpflan wrote: post #4

Can someone more familiar with the Bay Area housing issues and this company’s approach to increasing housing explain or analyze this for a non-Bay Area audience? I ask because this currently is Bay Area only.

Lack of space (SF is quite small) + Tech boon = most expensive city in the world

Tech boom + permits for new offices + obstructing permits for housing = most expensive city in the world.

There's lots of space for infill housing. There are MANY one and two story buildings within a stone's throw of a train line.

The people really suffering are the ones on the low end of the pay scale that either commute multiple hours of their day or spend half their income on rent.

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#13

Post by staunch »

It seems like the biggest innovation here would be bringing down the price of building a standalone studio apartment. These units probably cost cost $120k+ to build/install?

It would be neat if there was a (high quality) $50k kit homeowners could buy and assemble themselves, almost like IKEA furniture.

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#14

Post by walshemj »

Havoc wrote: post #3

>In places like the Bay Area haha was looking for that. My first thought on reading the headline was London. Shed renting is actually a thing there. Next though...SF But yeah - I totally think this has legs. I live in a smaller more modest space than I could afford. Works for me.

yes for slum landlords which is all very well until you get busted by the authorities.

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#15

Post by supernova87a »

If this isn't reflective of an abject failure of local/state government and public policy to plan and manage the needs of housing and population growth, I don't know what is.

Tech companies now employ people, feed people, transport people, educate people, and now they house people. Pretty soon we'll be voting for which tech company governs our society.

All the while gutless local city council members afraid of losing their jobs cower before homeowners, the landed gentry, the rudderless symbolic issues of anti-gentrification and anti-neighborhood change, at the expense of everyone who had the bad luck of being born later and not having gotten theirs yet.

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#17

Post by JMTQp8lwXL »

I don't have a backyard, and nobody I know in my area that also makes six figures+ a year has one, either. This trend has been documented [0]. Granted, my cohort is all earlier in our careers. But with years of saving, much of it prioritized in 401k's, IRAs, and HSAs, I don't have enough left for a down payment on a single family residence.

[0]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/21/are-you-c...

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#18

Post by Mizza »

I love anything that creates more housing in the bay, but these are 30-year contracts! I can't even imagine getting into a 30 year contract with a company that might not exist in 30 months. What happens when the start-up goes under, or gets acquired, etc? Is the loan made directly to a third party bank?

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#19

Post by whymsicalburito »

staunch wrote: post #13

It seems like the biggest innovation here would be bringing down the price of building a standalone studio apartment. These units probably cost cost $120k+ to build/install? It would be neat if there was a (high quality) $50k kit homeowners could buy and assemble themselves, almost like IKEA furniture.

There's actually lots of companies that sell these. Google "kit homes"

Re: Rent the Backyard (YC S19) wants to build a studio apartment in your yard

#20

Post by cik »

staunch wrote: post #13

It seems like the biggest innovation here would be bringing down the price of building a standalone studio apartment. These units probably cost cost $120k+ to build/install? It would be neat if there was a (high quality) $50k kit homeowners could buy and assemble themselves, almost like IKEA furniture.

This is already a thing. Look up 'kit homes'. You can get the entire thing done, with an electrical hookup for ~30K here.
Post reply on HN