Airbnb Due Diligence Checklist – STR Buyer Checklist: Regulations, HOA, Parking, Inspection, Insurance, Revenue Check, Word, No Canva

STR Buyer Due Diligence Checklist is an editable Word checklist for people who are thinking about buying a home to rent short-term. It walks you through the questions to ask before you make an offer: the local rules, the HOA or lease, the street, the house, the insurance and tax questions, and a revenue sanity check. Every page is written out in full for one sample home, so you edit a few details instead of starting from a blank page.

No Canva needed. Open the .docx in Microsoft Word, Google Docs (free) or Pages, replace the [bracketed] text, check the boxes and print the pages or save a PDF. Letter and A4 versions are both included.

This is a template only, not legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Short-term rental rules change often and differ by city, county, HOA and lease. Verify everything with the local authority, and have a local attorney, CPA and inspector review before you buy. The revenue page is a sanity check with sample numbers, not a forecast, and it promises no return.

What is inside

• Cover with a legal box, contents with page numbers, a how-to-use page and an order of work
• 1. Regulations & Permits: ordinance, permit type, caps and lotteries, primary-residence and owner-occupancy rules, night limits, zoning, occupancy tax registration and a who-to-call list, as questions with Answer, Source and Date columns
• 2. HOA, Condo & Lease Rules: CC&Rs, minimum stays, rental caps, approval, fines, pending votes and a documents-to-request list with Asked and Got boxes
• 3. Neighborhood: Parking, Noise & Neighbors: parking count and rules, street permits, noise ordinance and quiet hours, nearby venues, a neighbor walk log and complaints on record
• 4. Property & Inspection Items: 20 lines with Pass, Watch and Fail, including internet speed, cell signal, water heater size, septic capacity, egress windows, alarms, pool and hot tub, furniture and appliance age
• 5. Insurance & Taxes: Questions to Ask: questions for an insurance agent, a tax office and a CPA, written as questions and not as advice, plus a hazard zone check
• 6. Revenue Sanity Check: five comparable listings, average rate x occupancy x 365, expense lines, a worked example that adds up and a stress test
• 7. Decision Summary & Red Flags: red, yellow and green scoring for six areas, a deal-breaker list and a go / no-go sign-off

Files you receive

• STR-Buyer-Due-Diligence-Checklist-Letter.docx and STR-Buyer-Due-Diligence-Checklist-A4.docx - editable Word files
• STR-Buyer-Due-Diligence-Checklist-Letter.pdf and STR-Buyer-Due-Diligence-Checklist-A4.pdf - print-ready versions
• START-HERE-How-to-Edit.pdf - editing guide for Word, Google Docs and Pages

How it works

1. Download the ZIP right after checkout.
2. Open the Letter or A4 .docx in Word, or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs.
3. Replace the [bracketed] sample answers with what your own sources tell you, and write the source and date for each.
4. Score the six areas in section 7 and review the result with your attorney, CPA and inspector.

FAQ

Do I need Canva? No. It is a normal Word file that works offline.

Is this legal or financial advice? No. It is a template of questions to ask. Rules differ by place and change often, so have a local attorney, CPA and inspector review your deal.

Does it tell me whether a home will make money? No. The revenue page is a sanity check with sample numbers, not a forecast.

Is it for hosts who already own a home? It is written for buyers, but owners can use sections 1, 2 and 5 to check their own permit, HOA and insurance questions.

Will it print on A4? Yes. The A4 file is formatted for A4 paper and the Letter file for US Letter paper.

Are the names, rules and numbers real? No. They describe a made-up home in a made-up town. Replace them with your own.

License: personal and single-business use for your own purchases and rentals. Please do not resell or redistribute the files. Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com are trademarks of their respective owners; this product is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.