J1 Visa and Rental income

[Bluefiya]

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Hi

Just wondering if anyone would have any insight on this.
I will be starting a residency on a J1 visa and will be renting a 2 br apartment. Lets say I wanted to save some money on rent and decided to rent out the 2nd spare bedroom a few nights a month (AirBnB style). I don't actually want a full-time roommate/housemate but have found someone that needs a space a few times a month for work/travel. How does this play into taxes? Would this affect my J1? Would this be any different from just having a roommate and splitting costs 50-50? Or is this considered extra remuneration? Assuming I don't actually keep the extra money as an "income", I can just reduce my own rent by a couple hundred dollars?

I'm just trying to figure out if this is possible on a J1 without getting into any trouble.
Thank you!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Just call them a part time roommate and have them be "responsible" for some of the rent. They can pay you, and you can pay the actual rent. Renting a room from an apartment you are renting might not be legal (i.e. actually using AirBnB), so be careful. It will depend upon your rental agreement. You also need to check your rental agreement to see if it's OK to have a roommate at all -- they may need to be vetted by your landlord.

 

[Bluefiya]

Thank you!! Ya I don't think I would use Airbnb as they would provide a form for taxes.