Former Tahoe resident releases book about being an Airbnb host

“Sleeping with Strangers: An Airbnb Host’s Life in Lake Tahoe and Mexico” reveals what it’s like to be in charge of a short-term rental in two distinctly different locations—South Lake Tahoe, California, and Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

This book will have readers laughing, scratching their heads, and possibly changing their behavior as a guest and/or host of a short-term rental.

“Sleeping with Strangers” is Kathryn Reed’s fourth book. She is also the author of Lake Tahoe Trails For All Seasons: Must-Do Hiking and Snowshoe Treks, Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Treks, and The Dirt Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Hikes. She is an award-winning journalist who has had a permanent address somewhere in Northern California most of her life.

Reed is the former publisher of Lake Tahoe News, and was a resident of South Lake Tahoe for nearly 20 years. She will be signing and selling her books at the Valhalla Holiday Faire on the South Shore, Nov. 18-20. No fee to attend the faire. Books are $20—cash, check, or Venmo.

In the book, Reed doesn’t hold back on what it was like to be a host, lauding the good guests, making a strong case for those she’d rather not see again—after all, one chapter is titled “Don’t Come Back.” She also delves into what her experience was like dealing with Airbnb.

Challenges went beyond the clientele. A furnace died in the middle of a snowstorm in the mountains and a refrigerator was running hotter than the desert air. All normal homeowner issues. But they became even bigger stressors when paying guests were about to arrive thinking there was central heat and refrigeration.

The homes themselves were completely different. In Tahoe it was a room in a single-family residence that was available to rent, with Reed staying down the hall. In Mexico it was the bottom floor of a house, with Reed living on the property, but not sharing any living space.

Besides pulling back the covers on what life is like as an Airbnb host, Reed also shares what it is like to live in these two diverse locations, making the book a bit of a travelogue.

“Sleeping with Strangers” is available at local bookstores. If it’s not in stock, it may be ordered for $19.99. It may also be purchased on Amazon as a paperback for $19.99 or as an ebook for $9.99.