Turning a Park Model Home Into a Profitable Side Hustle: What You Need to Know

Owning real estate is one of the best ways to build wealth, but the high cost of entry makes it difficult for most people to get started. A traditional rental property requires a hefty down payment, ongoing maintenance, and the patience to deal with tenants. Even short-term rentals like Airbnbs can be expensive, especially in competitive markets.

That’s why some investors and side hustlers are turning to park model homes—a lesser-known but highly profitable way to generate passive income. These small, factory-built homes offer a low-cost way to enter the rental market and can be used as vacation properties, long-term residences, or even unique business spaces. With the growing demand for affordable getaways and alternative housing, a well-placed park model home can start making money faster than a traditional rental.

Real estate investing isn’t always about buying a standard house or apartment. Smaller, more affordable options like park model homes can create steady income without the financial strain of a full-sized property.

Why Park Model Homes Make a Smart Rental Investment

A park model home is a compact, factory-built home designed for semi-permanent or permanent placement. Unlike traditional tiny homes, which are often built on wheels for mobility, park model homes are typically placed on a foundation in RV parks, private lots, or vacation rental properties. They offer a mix of affordability and comfort, making them an attractive rental option.

Most are around 400 square feet, though smart layouts, lofted sleeping areas, and full-sized amenities make them feel more spacious. They often include kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces, which gives them a big advantage over basic camper trailers or RVs.

Because of their durability and residential-style features, park model homes work well as vacation rentals, guest houses, and long-term rental units. They provide a cozy, unique experience that appeals to both short-term guests and long-term tenants—creating multiple income opportunities for owners.

Three Ways to Make Money with a Park Model Home

Whether you want to earn extra cash on the side or build a passive income stream, there are several ways to turn a park model home into a profitable asset. Here are three of the most effective options.

1. Short-Term Rentals: Airbnb and Vacation Stays

One of the best ways to generate income with a park model home is by listing it on Airbnb, Vrbo, or other vacation rental platforms. Travelers love unique and affordable stays, and a well-located park model home can bring in thousands of dollars per month.

Unlike traditional rental properties, short-term stays allow you to:

✔ Charge higher nightly rates than long-term leases.

✔ Adjust pricing based on demand, maximizing earnings during peak seasons.

✔ Use the space yourself whenever it’s not rented out.

Some key factors for success:

✔ Location – Properties near beaches, hiking trails, or city centers attract more guests.

✔ Design & Amenities – Cozy decor, WiFi, and small touches like a fire pit boost reviews.

✔ Marketing – Great photos and a strong listing make all the difference.

Short-term rentals require some hands-on management, like guest bookings and cleaning between stays, but the higher income potential makes it worth the effort.

2. Long-Term Leasing for Consistent Passive Income

If you prefer a set-it-and-forget-it approach, renting your park model home as a long-term lease can provide steady monthly cash flow with minimal maintenance. Unlike an Airbnb rental, long-term tenants sign a lease, pay a fixed monthly rent, and handle most daily upkeep.

Park model homes work well as:

✔ Affordable housing solutions in areas where home prices or rents are high.

✔ Guest houses or in-law suites on private properties.

✔ Seasonal rentals in vacation destinations where people stay for months at a time.

Long-term leasing offers more stability than short-term rentals and requires less active management, making it a solid option for those who want truly passive income.

3. Creative Income Streams: Glamping, Office Space, and More

Beyond traditional rentals, a park model home can be repurposed into alternative income streams that often command premium pricing. Some creative ways to use one include:

✔ Glamping Retreats – Adding a deck, fire pit, or hot tub can turn it into an upscale outdoor escape.

✔ Backyard Rental Units – Used as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for additional rental income.

✔ Private Office or Studio – Leased to remote workers, freelancers, or artists looking for a dedicated space.

People are willing to pay more for unique experiences, making these creative rental strategies highly profitable.

Financial Breakdown: Upfront Costs vs. Expected Returns

Before getting started, it’s important to understand the initial costs, ongoing expenses, and earning potential of a park model home.

Upfront Costs

Purchase Price: $50,000 – $100,000
Land Purchase or Rental Fees (if you don’t already own a lot)
Utility Hookups: Water, electricity, septic (varies by location)
Furnishings & Décor for rentals

Ongoing Expenses

- Property Taxes (typically lower than standard homes)

Maintenance & Repairs

Insurance (covers damages, liability, and rental protection)
Management Fees (if hiring a property manager for Airbnb)

Expected Returns

The income potential of a park model home depends on rental strategy and location.

According to Airbnb’s Q4 2024 financial results, hosts collectively earned $19.3 billion in Q4 alone, reflecting a 17% year-over-year increase. In high-demand areas, a well-managed park model home can bring in $2,000 to $4,000 per month from short-term rentals.

Long-term leasing usually yields monthly incomes of $800 to $1,500, but it requires less day-to-day management.

With rising demand for unique stays and low upfront costs, park model homes present a profitable entry point into real estate.

Is a Park Model Home a Good Fit for Your Side Hustle?

A park model home is a great investment if:

✔ You have access to a desirable location with strong rental demand.

✔ You want a flexible investment that doesn’t require a huge down payment.

✔ You’re comfortable managing a rental or hiring someone to do it.

It might not be the best fit if:

✖ Local zoning laws restrict short-term rentals.

✖ You expect property appreciation similar to traditional real estate.

✖ You want a completely hands-off investment.

Many investors start small and expand from side hustle to full-time investing, using profits from rentals to scale their real estate portfolios.

Final Thoughts

A park model home can be a profitable side hustle that generates consistent income at a lower cost than traditional real estate. Whether you choose to list it on Airbnb, lease it long-term, or use it for a unique rental business, the potential for earnings is strong. For aspiring real estate investors looking for an affordable entry point, park model homes offer a practical and scalable way to start building passive income.

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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
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Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.