ORLANDO, Fla. _ Airbnb and a Miami developer say they've quietly created a first-of-its-kind apartment complex in central Florida designed to allow tenants to rent out their places for up to half of any year.
Developer Harvey Hernandez wouldn't reveal exactly where the 324-unit building is but said it's in Osceola County and a few minutes from the theme parks in the Kissimmee area, south of Orlando. He said he expects it to open in the first quarter of 2018.
Osceola officials said they didn't know about the project, called "Niido Powered by Airbnb."
"Niido is a community where we embrace home sharing for the benefit of our tenants," said Hernadez, CEO of Newgard Development.
He said Niido would allow renters to make income by leasing out their unit on Airbnb for up to 180 days per year. Any money earned would be shared between the renter and Niido, said Jaja Jackson, an official with Airbnb.
Niido _ a play on the Spanish word "nido," which means nest _ is a partnership between the developer Newgard Development and Airbnb.
Airbnb spokesman Ben Breit said rents will run between $1,300 and $2,000 monthly.
The apartments were designed with keyless-entry technology and shared common spaces to help accommodate home sharing.
A separate smartphone application will allow guests to check in and reach a "MasterHost," who will arrange cleaning and linen services in the rented units.
Similar Niido developments will be built throughout the Southeast U.S., Hernandez said.
Breit said Kissimmee is the third most active home sharing city in Florida, after Miami Beach and Miami.
