Renting Rooms for Comic Con

Once a year rental market

It is that time of year when San Diegans open their homes to strangers. 

People across the county rent rooms, apartments, condos and houses to visitors of Comic-Con.  It is the largest convention in San Diego, and places to stay are hard to find and expensive -- leaving the door open the locals who want to make some extra money renting out space for the convention.

But there can be complications.  Besides the fact that you are opening your door to complete strangers, many rental contracts and Condo Association rules ban renting out your property.  Regardless, it clearly happens every year.

"The risk is very slight," said Steven Kellman, the founder of Tenants Legal Center, "and the benefit is great, so it kind of weighs in favor of taking the chance."

If you only rent your place once a year for fewer than six days, there are no taxes or fees you're required to pay to the city of San Diego, according to the Office of City Treasurer.  But those rules can change from city to city.

"Certainly the city stands to benefit by having all this revenue and all this tourism coming to town," Kellman said.

Online sites Craigslist and Airbnb have multiple listings for Comic Con rentals, some as far away as Clairemont and Chula Vista.  Many people who live downtown and have rented their condos did not want to comment for this story because they are going against their association's rules.

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