The Columbus, GA Airbnb Market: 8% Yields Hiding in Plain Sight (Fort Benning Edition)

kyleaisaacs
Dec 2
2 min read

Everyone talks about Airbnb in Atlanta and Savannah. Meanwhile, Columbus quietly prints cash flow. This isn’t a beach market that dies in winter; it’s a destination market with year-round demand driven by Fort Benning and the local healthcare sector.

Trailside Escape - Managed by Fifth Principle Properties

If you’re weighing a conversion from long-term to short-term or launching a dedicated STR, here’s the 2025 Columbus snapshot — numbers, rules, and what actually wins bookings.

1) Who’s actually visiting (it’s not just tourists)

Fort Benning graduations. Families travel in groups for Turning Blue and Ranger graduation ceremonies, and they prefer a 3-bed house over three hotel rooms.
Training assignments and geo-bachelors. Officers and enlisted here for schools want furnished, comfortable stays without hotel noise.
Traveling nurses and mid-term guests. Major hospitals keep steady 30-90-day demand.

2) The numbers: what you can charge

Market averages hover around ADR ~$165–$172, but asset mix matters.

2 bed / 1 bath: ~$125–$135 per night
3 bed / 2 bath (sweet spot): ~$150–$180 per night — ideal for graduation families
4+ bedrooms: Scarcer supply can push above $300 on peak weeks

Pricing note: Static pricing leaves money on the table. We use dynamic pricing to raise rates during graduation weeks and ease slightly during lulls to keep occupancy up.

Get A Free Revenue Analysis Here (24-Hour Turnaround)

3) Is Columbus STR-friendly?

Yes — with rules. Columbus requires:

A short-term rental permit with annual renewal
A designated local 24/7 contact/manager
Proper lodging tax collection and remittance

We handle filings, listing disclosures, and monthly reports. We’ll confirm the current city fee schedule at onboarding and configure platforms so taxes are charged to guests and remitted correctly.

4) How to win: amenities that actually convert

Fenced yard: Military families travel with dogs; fenced yards lift conversion meaningfully.
Blackout curtains + quiet HVAC: Night shifters and soldiers recovering from field time value real sleep.
A real kitchen (“PCS kitchen”): Decent knives, pans, sheet trays, coffee gear. Graduation families cook.
Smart access + clear house guide: Seamless self-check-in and a usable, visual house manual.

5) The 75% occupancy playbook

The average market occupancy is ~56%. Top performers do the basics with discipline:

Allow 1-night “gap fillers” between longer bookings
Respond to inquiries in under 5 minutes
Maintain Superhost-level guest experience
Clean with photo QA and inventory checks every turn

6) Don’t want the 2 a.m. calls?

Short-term rentals are hospitality, not passive income. Operations decide your NOI. That’s where we come in.

What Fifth Principle Properties does for STR owners

Management fee: 20% of gross booking revenue
Onboarding: $750 one-time (listing build, pricing model, house manual, inventory spec, integrations, launch QA)
Cleaning: guest-paid; invoices passed through at cost
Supplies restock: at cost with receipts
Optional add-ons:
- Pro photography ($350)
- STR permit handling ($250 service fee + city fees)
- Smart lock + noise monitoring (hardware at cost; setup available)
- Insurance check (confirm STR coverage and loss-of-rent)