A young woman is making waves in the Airbnb rental business, earning an astonishing $180,000 a month without owning any property. At just 21 years old, TikTok influencer Hailie Anderson is at the forefront of this trend, leasing nearly 50 properties and then subletting them short-term to guests, profiting from the price difference. This business model has quietly gained traction within the Chinese community in Southern California in recent years.
According to reports from Yahoo News and Business Insider, Anderson has become a spokesperson for this emerging trend. Many young people, like Anderson, are choosing to move away from the traditional 9-to-5 work model, utilizing real estate arbitrage to make money while showcasing their lavish lifestyles on social media.
G, a resident of the Chinese community in Los Angeles, has also adopted a similar business model but is only making enough to supplement her household income rather than generating substantial profits. She rents a large property in the San Gabriel Valley for around $4,000 a month. Her family lives in the front house while transforming the back house into an Airbnb rental, charging about $250 per night for a one-bedroom, one-bath unit. G noted that the income from short-term rentals nearly offsets the cost of the entire property, stating, “It’s like living in the house for free, and on good months, we can even make an extra $1,000.”
After experiencing some success with her short-term rental, G decided to expand her business. Recently, she rented an additional standalone house for $5,000 a month, also for Airbnb purposes. This three-bedroom, three-bath property is priced between $400 and $500 per night, but G realized that her returns haven’t met expectations so far. “One-bedroom, one-bath units are much easier to rent out. With a larger house, there are times when it sits vacant for days, which can lead to losses,” she explained.
The trend of running Airbnb through subleasing has become particularly popular among young adults since it requires significantly less startup capital compared to purchasing property. The key to this arbitrage model is securing long-term leases from landlords, then renting those properties at higher nightly rates, effectively running a hotel-like business without any real estate investment. As Anderson puts it, “I earn $180,000 a month from properties I don’t even own.”
However, controlling such operations can be risky. Experts in real estate caution that the lack of property ownership means a lower level of control. Landlords can choose not to renew leases or may decide to sell their properties, which can leave operators in a difficult position. Anderson acknowledges the risks involved and recognizes that ultimately, her goal is to buy her own property. She has leveraged her success with Airbnb to get to a point where she can consider making that investment.
