How to Rent a House for a Party

Where to Rent Houses for Parties

Peerspace Peerspace is a platform where people list event spaces for rent. Unlike Airbnb, which is intended for vacation rentals and bans parties at its listed properties, Peerspace specializes in connecting people with properties to use for events (such as parties). Rentals on Peerspace are priced hourly, not nightly.

Vrbo While Vrbo is known for offering vacation rentals, some of its listings are eligible to rent for events. Go to the Vrbo website and enter the number of guests and your city to find potential rental houses for your party. Read the “House Rules” section of the property’s listing page to see if they allow events. Alternatively, look at Vrbo’s list of popular rental houses for parties.

Giggster Giggster is a venue rental platform. It gathers listings for public venues like ballrooms and studios, but also private venues such as houses. On the Giggster website, type “Private Party” under “What are you planning” to search for houses that you can book for a party. If you’re looking for a specific type of venue, search for “[event type] party.” For example, if you want to rent a house for a quinceañera, type “quinceañera party venue” into the search box under “What are you planning.” Giggster listings are limited to major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and London.

Tagvenue Tagvenue is a platform that lists spaces you can rent specifically for events. Unlike some other platforms, it lists venues in the UK, the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and Ireland. Where the Tagvenue site lets you enter your event type, put “Country House” or “Private Party.” Look for results that say “House” or “Entire Venue.” Pay attention to the chair and person icons next to each listing. The number to the right of the chair icon refers to how many people can be seated to dine at the venue. The number beside the person icon indicates the maximum capacity for an event. Some venues have a minimum booking duration and mandatory booking duration (how many hours you must reserve at a minimum). Look for these at the bottom of individual listings before you book.

Renting a House for a Party

Decide on a guest list and budget. Try to get confirmed RSVPs to help you plan how much food and alcohol you’ll need, suggests event decor specialist Anna Braff. Factors to consider when setting a budget are what size space you’ll need, how long you’ll rent the space, costs to travel to the rental, costs associated with food, beverages, and decor, and any event services like catering, bartending, and cleaning. Most houses available for event rental charge by the hour, and most adult parties run for three to four hours. If you’re planning for party guests to stay at the rental, you’ll have to find a property that allows both events and overnight stays. If you’re doing set-up and clean-up for the party and renting a place by the hour, factor at least an hour for each into your overall rental time.

Check venue rental sites to find a house. Some sites, like Airbnb, ban renters from holding events at their rental properties, and even support owners cancelling rentals that might be for a party. Look on platforms that allow or specifically list homes and spaces for events, such as Peerspace, Vrbo, Giggster, and Tagvenue. While each platform varies, most let you enter the number of guests you intend to have and set as a maximum price. Look for boxes you can check to view houses with specific amenities, such as a pool.

Confirm with the owner that parties are allowed before booking. To avoid a misunderstanding and make sure your specific party size is allowed, communicate with the owner of the property you’re interested in. Most booking platforms will let you message the owner with questions. Tell them what event you’re having, how many people you plan to invite, and for how long you plan to rent the space. If you’re traveling to another city, check local guidelines for ordinances on noise and gathering size. Otherwise, the police could shut your event down. Don’t try to hide that you’re planning to have a party to book a vacation rental. Not only could this get you fined and banned from rental platforms like Airbnb, but you could get in legal trouble for violating city ordinances regarding events.

Tips for Having a Party at a Rental House

Make guests aware of the property’s rules. Once you book a rental, the owner and/or the rental platform will send you a list of rules for all guests to follow. This could include staying out of certain rooms, keeping noise down before and after certain times, and cleaning the space before checking out. Text the rules to everyone who will attend so you’re all on the same page before the party gets underway.

Use decorations that are easy to put up and take down. It’s fine to bring decorations when you’re renting a house for a party, but don’t set up anything that could damage the property or take a long time to take down. Examples of simple decor include tablecloths, chair covers, balloons, and banners. Avoid messy decorations like confetti or glitter-filled balloons. These could take a long time to vacuum up. Don’t hang up banners with nails or tacks. Use wall-safe tape or Command Strips that won’t peel the paint. When using tablecloths, consider placing a waterproof table liner below the tablecloth to prevent spills from staining furniture.

Have a plan for cleaning up after the party. If you’re hiring professional cleaners, have a plan to get guests out of the space in a timely manner so the cleaners can do their job before your rental time is up. If you’re cleaning with the help of a few guests, bring adequate cleaning supplies such as wipes, trash bags, disposable gloves, and a hand vacuum. Your rental may not provide them. Follow rental-specific cleaning policies. For example, your rental owner may request that you take trash bags outside to a bin and load the dishwasher if you use their dishware. You may also need to empty the fridge and remove any uneaten food and leftover beverages.

Alternatives to Renting a House

Rent a restaurant or other public venue. Look for local restaurants, hotels, and event spaces that work for your guest list and budget. While they may be costlier than renting a house for a party, the venue’s staff usually take care of set-up and cleaning. Some even offer packages that include food, beverages, and photography. Search for venues on sites like Yelp, Giggster, and Tagvenue. Enter the city where it asks for your location, and “event venue” or “party venue” where it lets you fill in what space you’re looking for.

Have your party at your house or backyard. To save money, there’s nothing wrong with holding a party at your own house. Take advantage of the space you have, inside or outside, to entertain guests. You can use more permanent decorations and take your time with clean-up, versus a rental where you have to be mindful of the owner’s property and rules.

Reserve a public park shelter or pavilion. Go to your city or state’s .org or .gov website (or the parks and recreation website, if there is one). Find the page on renting a park shelter or pavilion for a public event. Pay attention to details such as how far in advance you can reserve a space, if there’s a daily or hourly rate, how many guests the shelter or pavilion seats, and what food and beverages are allowed. Some park shelters offer free amenities such as barbeque grills. You can also reserve fire pits on public beaches, although many have a first-come, first-serve policy—meaning you have to get there early the day of your event to claim one. For example, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boise each have sections of their city websites explaining how to rent a public space for a wedding, birthday party, or other special event.

Stay in a hotel and celebrate out on the town. If your goal is to have a party in a specific city, book a hotel and have your guests do the same. Hold your celebration in the city, either going out to a bar or restaurant for an intimate get-together or renting a local venue for a big gathering. After the party, you can rest at your hotel before heading home. This option may be pricier than renting a house, but it’s a good compromise if you can’t find a rental that allows both events and overnight guests.

How to Rent Out Your House for Parties

Obtain a permit from your city if needed. You don’t need a permit to hold parties at a private home. However, if you’re trying to turn your house into a full-time venue for large events like weddings, you may need one—you’re essentially running a business. Check your city or county’s official websites for information on zoning, noise ordinances, building codes for venues, and food and alcohol license requirements. Search “[city name] event permits” in Google and look for your city’s official website, or reach out to your city’s zoning office. To find out local noise restrictions, search for “[city name]” and “loud or unruly gathering.” This phrase is commonly used in ordinances outlining and prohibiting excessive noise in residential areas.

List your house on a venue rental site. If you’re renting your house out specifically for parties, you can’t list it on Airbnb. Create a listing on a platform like Vrbo, Peerspace, Giggster, or Tagvenue. Include clear, well-lit photographs of your home or the part of your home you’re renting out. Look at other listings for event venues in your city to familiarize yourself with prices. You may have to wait for the platform to approve your listing before it goes live on their site.

Set clear rules for renters and their guests. In your listing’s description and when communicating with potential renters, be clear what the rules are for renting your home. If you have a maximum capacity, let renters know that they can’t invite more guests than that. If you don’t offer cleaning services, make it clear what renters must clean. Set a fine for broken rules and withhold a security deposit.

Consider renting your house out for stays instead. Renting your house out for a party may be lucrative because you can charge by the hour instead of by the night. However, it may also lead to more property damage and noise complaints than an overnight rental would. Decide if turning your property into a vacation rental might be the better move for you in terms of finances and security.