I Rent Out My Home by the Hour To Cover the Mortgage—and You Might’ve Seen It on TV

Jessica Herrera would never have rented out her new-build home in Decatur, GA, by the hour if she had been able to get the permits on time.

A developer by trade, she built a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,500-square-foot home and planned to sell it upon completion. But the build took much longer than expected.

“This should have taken six months to build, but it took a year and a half due to permits,” she says.

Then she had to install a new septic system—an issue that hadn’t arisen when she originally purchased the land.

All told, the extra time and the new septic system sent building costs soaring. After putting in $1.1 million, she decided to list the home for $1,250,000. She originally felt confident that it would sell quickly.

And then it didn't. Why?

“The house didn’t sell because of the school system,” says Herrera. 

Families buying at that price point are looking for a higher-rated school, she insists.

Another consideration for families: The home's layout ruled out any multigenerational buyers. “It also has stairs, so it’s not for an older buyer," she notes.

Herrera felt stuck with the property—until a colleague mentioned Peerspace.

Going Hollywood

It was a name she had heard previously, while she was living in Houston. At the time, she was too busy with development to invest the time into a rental business.

This time, she needed options.

Peerspace rents out homes and other spaces by the hour, catering to video production crews, content creators, and people who want to host an event, be it a graduation party, engagement party, or just a brunch—somewhere other than their own home, which might be too small or not private enough.

Herrera liked the idea, especially that it wasn’t involving short-term, overnight guests.

“I really don't like people staying over,” she confesses. “This was a brand-new property. Airbnb comes with wear and tear, and you’re dealing with guests at all hours. I don't have time for that.”

She also didn’t like that shifting the management of an Airbnb to a third party meant losing 20% of the gross income.

With a $15,000 investment into high-end furniture to give the space a luxury feel, she listed her home on Peerspace. That was back in May 2025, and since then, she’s had good experiences.

“Peerspace tends to be a bit cleaner,” she says. “People come for a few hours, and then they’re done; and 90% of the time, they leave the home in the condition it was in before they arrive. The guests have been great.”

Making money by the hour

Her open floor-plan home rents for $150 an hour, with a four-hour minimum. On average, she makes $10,000 a month, though admittedly some months bring in less.

And what's fun is that you've likely seen her home before! She’s hosted production teams from the TV show ‘Dateline’ as well as crews filming commercials for Coca-Cola and Boar's Head.

Some brands enjoy the setup so much, they book again and again.

“Coca-Cola talked to management to do the rest of the year’s worth of commercials at my house,” she says.

So, for right now, it’s working. For Herrera, it’s the perfect stop-gap measure, covering her $10,073-a-month mortgage until the market shifts to support the sale of the home at the price she wants.

Herrera recommends this to other developers or property owners interested in a buy-and-hold strategy.

“I would definitely do this over leasing,” she says. 

She’s still busy with other development projects, but estimates that if she were to put the time into marketing the home, it could bring in $20,000 to $30,000 a month. The kitchen is enormous–a dream for any dinner party. The backyard allows for outdoor events, like a yoga-and-brunch event, movie nights, or live music events.

Her focus is still new development, but she’s grateful to have found Peerspace.

“I have no intention of having other homes on Peerspace,” she says. “But for now, we are just going to keep making lemonade out of the lemons.”