LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As thousands of tourists trot to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, many will need somewhere to stay when hotels fill up.
Many local homeowners are happy to rent out their place for the weekend to cash in on Derby tourism.
James Corne moved to Louisville in 2015. He quickly saw an opportunity to take a trip elsewhere and rent out his home Derby weekend to make some money.
“I heard about people renting their home out for the Derby. I just got curious,” said Corne.
He had been listing his house on the site LouisvilleDerbyHomeRental.com for years when the man who had been running the page moved out of state and was looking for someone to take it over.
“I raised my hand and got involved and took over the website from there,” said Corne.
On the website, homeowners pay a flat fee to list their house on the site with no commission involved.
“I think what is nice about that is these are people who rent their homes out once a year. When you go to an Airbnb, it is someone who might year-round be renting,” said Corne.
On this site, renters can contact and book directly through the homeowner.
“Derby renters are great because it’s typically second, even third families coming together again," Corne said. "You have grandparents, their adult children and sometimes grandchildren... What I’m saying is: they’re responsible renters.”
How much homeowners can earn depends a lot on the neighborhood and the number of bedrooms. For a frame of reference, listings still available on the site range from $2,000–25,000 for a Thursday-Sunday stay Derby weekend.
Corne likes to give recommendations for bars and restaurants to check out, many of which his renters can walk to, since his place is just off Bardstown Road in the Highlands.
“I feel like I’m an ambassador for Louisville when someone comes to rent my home, so I want to make sure they get a feel for the city and they have a great experience overall,” said Corne.
He already has Derby renters lined up for this year and is excited to welcome them to the Derby City.