Becks Harvey, a 46-year-old British expat living in Brooklyn, New York, never dreamed she’d be earning six figures a year by renting out her home for photoshoots. Nor did she imagine she’d host numerous celebrities — among them, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Coolidge and CJ Wallace, son of The Notorious B.I.G.
But like hundreds of other homeowners across the country, Harvey and her husband rent out their properties for production.
For five years, they have been renting out the building they own, a former auto shop remodeled into three separate apartments (one of which they live in). In that time, they’ve hosted dozens of photo and video shoots for advertisements, documentaries and magazine covers.
The majority of their bookings come from Peerspace, an online platform where people can find properties to rent for various purposes; Splacer, a similar marketplace; or a handful of traditional agencies that work directly with clients.
Hosting can be highly lucrative. Harvey says they earned more than $200,000 from one unit in 2021 and again in 2022. At this point, managing bookings functions almost as her full-time job.
While her situation may be unusually profitable — New York City is uniquely well-suited to high-profile production projects — it’s common for hosts nationwide to charge $50, $100 or even $250 per hour. Many shoots last for multiple days, making the annual income enough to supplement a mortgage.
Of course, the companies take a commission on bookings. And there are risks to opening up your property for commercial use. Hosts speak of dents on the wall, scrapes on the floor, and a fair amount of logistical management, especially since bookings are often made less than two weeks in advance.
To protect their homes, owners must be prepared to treat their home like a business. Nonetheless, many people deem it worth it: Peerspace reports that there are more than 40,000 bookable spaces on its site worldwide.
How to rent out your home for production
Listing a space on Peerspace or Splacer is free and can be done in under an hour. To begin, hosts create a profile for their home, including details about size, amenities and parking. Hosts set their own hourly rates, which are viewable on their profile. Similar to Airbnb, those looking to book a spot can filter by price, location, capacity and other factors.
Previous experience isn’t necessary. Alexis Hammond, a 42-year-old psychiatrist in Baltimore, got the idea in 2020 after joining a financial literacy book club.
Soon after listing her home on Peerspace, Hammond had earned enough in one month to cover her mortgage. While the income varies, she was eventually able to afford a second house next door, which she bought for the sole purpose of renting it out.
“Financially, it’s definitely been beneficial,” she says, adding that she estimates she earns up to $20,000 per year between the properties. “I found it hard to say no to anyone because I was just very excited and kind of stunned that it was so successful.”
What do people look for when scouting locations? Jessica Yager, a freelance production manager in Seattle, says it depends on the client. A house doesn’t necessarily need to be super fancy to be a good fit. (In fact, some brands shy away from spaces that look too luxurious to be accessible to their target customer.)
Spaciousness is usually important: It’s common for crews to consist of 15 to 30 people who need room to move and work. Natural light is a plus, too.
A typical day for Yager begins early — often before 7 a.m. The homeowner may or not be present; some just instruct her to enter without them using a keypad. Once inside, she and the crew photograph every nook and cranny so they know how to put the house back together.
Then, they put down moving blankets and other equipment to help protect the floors and the walls. Sometimes, they remove all the furniture from a room and replace it.
By mid-morning, the house is filled with photographers, digital technicians, wardrobe stylists, hair and makeup, and production managers — all of whom have their own assistants. Then there’s the talent (aka models and actors). When the shoot wraps, the homeowner comes in to do a walk-through to see if anything looks awry.
Tips, tricks and celeb sightings
It’s important for residents to understand the risks involved. Sarah Dupuis, a real estate agent in Seattle who rents out three houses, including the one she lives in with her husband and three children, says she’s learned lessons the hard way after nearly 10 years in the business. During one booking, the client took out all the kitchen appliances, leaving visible dents in the floors.
While the experience didn’t put her off of hosting, she’s since tightened up her requirements. For instance, she no longer allows rolling equipment or dollies because of the heightened potential for damage, and she has clients sign a special type of contract for filming on private properties.
“We’ve learned some tricks,” she says. “It’s knowing what the production is for, what company is behind it, if it’s going to be video and so on.”
Having another property to escape to when renters are present helps. Dupuis, 46, rents out her primary residence roughly six times per year, requiring her family of five to rearrange furniture, lock up their valuables and shuffle their lives around.
They usually go to one of their other houses during shoots, but if they have to stay home, they retreat to the basement.
That said, the perks aren’t all about money. Hammond says she feels hosting has been a fulfilling creative outlet. Her homes have been used for everything from commercials to maternity photoshoots, all of which she diligently tracks on social media.
There are the celebrity sightings, too. Harvey gets a kick out of knowing stars are enjoying her homes, though she’s often too shy to approach them.
“I don’t trust myself around famous people,” she says. “I just know that I would say something and regret it forever.”
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