How to Start a Farm Stay: The Real Setup Costs, Nightly Rates and Permit Questions That Turned One "Going in the Tank" Farm Into a 90% Hospitality Business
Two years after Scottie and Greg Jones moved from Phoenix to a sheep farm in Alsea, Oregon, Scottie faced the truth: "our farm was going in the tank." So she got county permission to rent out one small cabin. By 2018, Leaping Lamb Farm charged $175 to $400 a night, and hospitality made up 90% of its income.
Here is how to start a farm stay the same way. Ask the permit and insurance questions first. Open the cheapest unit your land and rules allow. Price it from real local rates. Add units only when bookings prove the demand.
The Short Answer: To start a farm stay, (1) pick one unit you can afford to test: a spare room, a few tent pitches, a bell tent, a cabin or hut, or a converted barn; (2) get written answers from your county or council on zoning, health, building and fire rules before you spend; (3) confirm your insurer will cover paying overnight guests; (4) price from real local rates, with a two-night minimum; (5) list on one or two platforms plus your own website; and (6) build more only after one full season of bookings. Real starting costs run from a rented portable toilet ($100 to $500 a month in the US) to $200 or more per square foot for a barn conversion. |
The Small Cabin That Turned a Sheep Farm Around
Scottie and Greg Jones arrived in Oregon in June 2003 with horses, dogs, a cat and no farming experience. They raised sheep and sold hay. They even designed and sold a gate latch.
None of it was enough. Scottie told DTN/Progressive Farmer she "realized after two years, our farm was going in the tank." Lamb, latches and hay did not cover tractor breakdowns and inputs.
So she looked at a small cabin first built for their daughter. In 2006, Benton County gave her a variance and a conditional use permit to rent it to guests. With one cabin, she soon had to turn guests away. The Joneses later turned the farmhouse into guest quarters too.
By 2018, Leaping Lamb was booked solid most weekends from mid-March to Labor Day, with a two-night minimum. Scottie also founded Farm Stay U.S., a website listing farms that host guests, with help from two USDA grants, DTN reported.
She did not build a resort. She used a building she already had, got the paperwork right, and grew only when guests kept asking for more.
Why Farm Stays Are Worth a Hard Look Right Now
You are not imagining the demand. In September 2026, Airbnb reported that US searches for "farm stay" nearly quadrupled between 2016 and early 2026. Fox News, citing the same Airbnb report, said searches rose another 61% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier.
The money is real too. Airbnb says farm stay hosts earned about $120 million through Airbnb in 2025. The typical farm stay host earned about $8,000. Total farm stay host earnings have grown nearly 400% since 2018.
Now set that next to the farm side. Airbnb's report, citing USDA data, says the typical small farm household lost about $2,800 from farming in 2024. In Vermont, more than half of farms sell less than $10,000 a year, according to VTDigger.
Selina Rooney, a former dairy farmer whose family rents a cabin on their Vermont farm, put it plainly: "We're in an industry where we're price takers instead of price makers."
A farm stay is one of the few things on a farm where you set the price.
The UK shows the same pattern. Defra's Farm Business Survey found that 72% of farm businesses in England had some diversified activity in 2024/25. Farms that provided tourist accommodation and catering earned an average of £8,700 from it.
Reality Check: Every one of those platform numbers is hosting earnings. Fox News pointed out they are not necessarily profit after expenses. Cleaning, linen, toilets, insurance, repairs and tax still come out before you see a dollar. Treat a farm stay as a second income you build, not a rescue that arrives in month one. |
If you want the full picture of what visitor income really looks like, read how much agritourism farms really make.
Step 1: Choose the Farm Stay You Can Afford to Test
Most farmers start by picturing the finished dream: six cabins, a hot tub and a farm breakfast. That is how people borrow too much before a single guest has booked.
Start with the unit that matches what you already have. A spare bedroom, an empty house, an old building or a quiet field each points to a different first step.
Here are the five main types of farm stay, what they cost to start and the first rule they usually trigger.
Farm stay type | Real starting cost examples | Real nightly rate examples | First rule to ask about |
Rooms in the farmhouse | Beds, linen, cleaning; no new building | Liberty Hill Farm, Vermont: $152 per adult per night | Lodging or B&B licence, food rules if you serve meals |
Tent pitches | Portable toilet rental: $100 to $500 a month (Fixr) | US tent camping average: $58.91 (June 2026) | Campground licence threshold; England's 60-day Class BC right |
Bell tents and glamping | 8-person bell tent: $1,729.99 (Tractor Supply) | US standalone glamping median: $220 (June 2026) | Toilets and septic for showers and sinks |
Cabin or shepherd's hut | Shepherd's huts: £26,198 to £50,327 + VAT (Timeless Spaces) | Elliott Tree Farm, Ontario: from CA$165 | Building permit; whether the unit counts as a dwelling |
Converted barn or cottage | Barn conversion: $200 to $375 per sq ft basic to mid-range (HomeGuide) | Leaping Lamb, Oregon: $175 to $400 (2018) | Change of use; building and fire code |
Sources: Farm Stay USA, Fixr (Jan 2025), Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index (RV PRO, June 2026), Tractor Supply, Timeless Spaces, GuelphToday, HomeGuide, DTN/Progressive Farmer.
Notice the jump between rows. A tent pitch can be tested for the cost of a toilet rental. A converted barn can cost more than the farm earned in a decade.
That is why the farms in this article almost all started small. Leaping Lamb started with one cabin. Shelterbelt Farm in New York started with one glamping tent. Brae Ridge Farm in Ontario started with one A-frame cabin.
Field-Tested Play: Write down the one unit you could open in the next 90 days with the buildings, field and cash you have now. That is your test. Everything else is phase two. |
If you are torn between simple and fancy, read why simple cabins can outperform luxury farm stays. If you have an old building, start with what to do with an old barn.
Step 2: Ask the Permit Questions Before You Spend a Dollar
This is the step that sinks farm stays. Not the bookings. The paperwork.
Scottie Jones did it in the right order. She applied to Benton County, got a variance and a conditional use permit, and her neighbors were notified. According to Oregon State University's Small Farms program, she showed the farm stay would not hurt farming or logging nearby. Only then did guests arrive.
Rules differ by state, county, province and council. This is not legal advice. It is a list of what to ask, with real examples of how different places draw the lines.
United States: county zoning, health and building rules
In most of the US, three offices decide your farm stay. The planning or zoning office decides whether lodging is allowed on your land. The health department decides about water, toilets, septic and food. The building department decides whether a structure is safe for paying guests to sleep in.
Erica Frenay of Shelterbelt Farm in New York's Finger Lakes wrote about this for the Cornell Small Farms Program. Her county health department did not require a permit for pit toilets. But it did require a septic system for sink and shower water. That septic system became the biggest single investment in the whole project.
She also capped her plan at four tents. Above that, stricter campground rules would apply.
That is the lesson. The number of tents, rooms or guests you plan can push you over a line you didn't know existed. Ask where the lines are before you choose your number.
Questions to ask your county:
Is overnight lodging allowed on my land as it is zoned now? If not, what permit or variance do I need, and how long does it take?
How many tents, cabins, rooms or guests can I have before campground, hotel or B&B rules apply?
Does any structure guests sleep in need a building permit, even a tent platform or a hut on wheels?
What toilets, showers and water testing does the health department require? Do sinks and showers need septic?
If I serve breakfast or dinner, what food licence do I need?
Do I need to collect a local lodging or occupancy tax?
If you plan to use a barn, read is your barn legal for visitors first. Barns that hold hay are treated very differently from barns that hold people. For food, see selling food on your farm: the permits. For your state's agritourism liability law, see agritourism laws by state.
England and Wales: the 60-day campsite right and the 182-day rule
England gives farmers a low-cost way to test camping. Since 26 July 2023, the Class BC permitted development right lets you run a temporary campsite for up to 60 days a year with up to 50 pitches, without planning permission. Before that, the limit was 28 days.
There are conditions. According to the NFU, you must provide moveable toilets and waste disposal. You must give your local planning authority written notice with a site plan and your dates. Caravans are not covered, though campervans and motorhomes are. The right does not apply on sites of special scientific interest, scheduled monuments or within the curtilage of a listed building. Land in Flood Zones 2 or 3 needs prior approval.
Permanent units are different. A shepherd's hut, cabin or converted barn usually needs a conversation with your planning officer before you order anything.
Wales has its own tax test for holiday lets. Since April 2023, a self-catering property must be available to let for 252 days and actually let for 182 days in a 12-month period to be rated as a business. Otherwise it may pay council tax instead, and the Welsh Government raised the maximum council tax premium on second homes to 300%.
The UK tax rules changed too. The furnished holiday lettings tax regime was abolished from April 2025, according to ACCA. Holiday let owners lost several reliefs, including capital allowances on new spending and some capital gains reliefs. Ask your accountant how this affects your numbers before you build. Our guide to agritourism examples in the UK covers more UK rules and real farm prices.
Canada: British Columbia's 10-unit cap and Ontario's 2% rule
Canadian provinces set farm stay limits through farmland protection rules.
In British Columbia, the Agricultural Land Commission allows up to 10 sleeping units of agri-tourism accommodation on land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, according to its July 2024 bulletin. Bedrooms used for B&B in your house count toward the 10. So do tents and trailers on a campsite.
The land must be classed as a farm and actively farmed. The developed area must stay under 5% of the parcel. Stays must be seasonal or short-term, meaning no more than 30 days in a row. Your local government can set a lower limit, or not allow it at all.
In Ontario, on-farm diversified uses such as a bed and breakfast are limited to 2% of the farm parcel or 1 hectare, whichever is less, according to a Durham Region summary of provincial guidance. That limit covers all such uses combined, including parking and driveways.
Place | The rule to know | What to ask |
England | Class BC: tents up to 60 days a year, up to 50 pitches, toilets required, written notice to the LPA | Does my site qualify, and do my pods or huts need planning permission? |
Wales | Self-catering must be available 252 days and let 182 days to be business-rated | Will my unit hit 182 let days, and what if it doesn't? |
British Columbia | Max 10 sleeping units in the ALR; under 5% of the parcel | Does my local zoning bylaw allow agri-tourism accommodation at all? |
Ontario | On-farm diversified uses: 2% of the parcel or 1 hectare, whichever is less | How much of my allowance do parking and paths use up? |
United States | Set by state and county; varies widely | At what number of units do campground or hotel rules apply? |
Sources: NFU (July 2023), Welsh Government (March 2022), BC Agricultural Land Commission (July 2024), Durham Region. Rules change; check with your own planning office.
Field-Tested Play: Book a meeting with your planning officer before you get quotes. Bring a simple sketch: where guests park, sleep, wash and walk. Ask every question in writing and keep the replies. An email from the county is worth more than any builder's promise. |
Step 3: Ask Your Insurer This Question in Writing
Here is the question: "Does my current farm policy cover a paying guest who is injured while staying overnight on my farm?"
Do not assume the answer is yes. A farm policy is written for farming. A guest sleeping in your field is a business activity, and many policies treat it differently.
Platforms offer some protection. Airbnb says its host liability insurance provides $1 million in coverage if you're found legally responsible for a guest's injury or property damage on stays booked through Airbnb. But it lists exclusions, including intentional acts, and says "other exclusions apply." Its page does not say whether that cover is primary or secondary.
So ask your agent these questions too:
Is overnight lodging covered, or do I need a separate policy or endorsement?
Are activities guests do on the farm covered: animal feeding, chores, wagon rides, a creek or pond?
Does the cover apply to bookings I take directly, not just through a platform?
What happens if a guest is hurt by livestock or machinery?
Does my state's agritourism liability law apply to overnight guests, and does it require warning signs?
Scottie Jones gives every guest what she calls a "danger tour." Her reason, as she told DTN: "accidents often happen in the first 30 minutes."
Reality Check: A waiver is not a substitute for insurance. Read do liability waivers protect your farm, then agritourism insurance: what it covers and costs. |
For a full checklist of hazards guests can't see, read the hidden farm hazards your visitors can't see and how to protect your farm stay.
Step 4: Know the Real Startup Costs, Unit by Unit
Most farm stay articles give you made-up budgets. Here are real prices you can check, from the cheapest test to the most expensive build.
Tent pitches: the cheapest test
A field, a few level pitches and a toilet. That is a campsite.
Fixr puts a portable toilet rental at $100 to $500 a month, or $80 to $125 a day for a standard unit. That makes tent camping the lowest-cost way to find out whether anyone wants to sleep on your farm.
The trade-off is price. In June 2026, US tent camping averaged $58.91 a night, according to the Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index. Our guide to how much Hipcamp hosts earn shows real farm campsite income and a first-season calculator. If you'd rather host self-contained RVs, see Harvest Hosts for farms.
Bell tents and glamping
An 8-person White Duck Avalon bell tent sells for $1,729.99 at Tractor Supply. Add beds, linen, a platform, lighting and toilets.
The rate jump is big. Standalone glamping averaged $297.91 a night in June 2026, with a median of $220.
But glamping guests expect hot showers. That is where the hidden cost hides. At Shelterbelt Farm, the septic system for the bath house was the biggest single investment. Angi puts the average septic system at $8,011, with a typical range of $3,615 to $12,408. Mound or aerobic systems run $10,000 to $20,000.
In Ontario, Jessica and Ryan Pfisterer opened an emperor tent with a queen bed and a futon in June 2020, at CA$238 a night for up to six people. GuelphToday reported they broke even in the first year and were fully booked for the rest of that first summer.
Cabins and shepherd's huts
In the UK, one maker, Timeless Spaces, lists shepherd's huts from £26,198 + VAT for a 16-foot larch hut to £50,327 + VAT for a 20-foot oak turnkey hut. Its turnkey models include a bed, kitchenette and bathroom. The maker notes its prices may be guidance only once you add bespoke features.
In Ontario, Penny Burton opened an A-frame cabin called the Meadow Lark at Brae Ridge Farm & Sanctuary in 2021. GuelphToday reported about CA$24,000 in revenue since then, roughly what the cabin cost to build. All the revenue goes back to the farm and its alpacas.
That is a realistic picture. A cabin is not a get-rich unit. It can take several seasons to earn back what it cost.
Converted barns and farmhouses
Converting a barn to a full living space is the most expensive route. HomeGuide puts a basic barn conversion at $200 to $275 per square foot and a mid-range one at $275 to $375. A restoration that keeps a barn standing without making it a home runs $100 to $225 per square foot.
So a 1,000 square foot basic conversion starts around $200,000. That is why the cheapest farmhouse stay is often the house you already have. Liberty Hill Farm in Vermont has hosted guests since 1984 in the farmhouse itself, with seven guest bedrooms and four shared bathrooms, according to Seven Days.
Here is the simplest way to see the difference. Divide the purchase price of the unit by one night's gross rate. That is how many booked nights it takes just to pay for the unit, before anything else.
Eight nights for a tent. About 167 nights for a hut. Over 1,100 nights for a barn conversion. And that is before toilets, septic, cleaning, platform fees and tax.
Field-Tested Play: Run the same sum on your own unit before you borrow. If the answer is more than two or three seasons of realistic bookings, start one step lower on the ladder. Our guide to agritourism startup costs by activity helps you build the full budget. |
Step 5: Price Your Farm Stay From Real Rates, Not Guesses
Most farmers underprice because they compare themselves to a motel. Your guests are not buying a bed.
Beth Kennett has hosted guests at Liberty Hill Farm since 1984. She told Seven Days: "It's really not about the bed, and it's not about the pancakes." Guests come to milk cows, gather eggs and sit at the family table.
Start with what campers and glampers paid across the US in June 2026.
Private hosts averaged $78.59 a night, more than double the $34.12 at public campgrounds. Campground lodging averaged $198.66. Standalone glamping averaged $297.91.
Now look at what real farm stays charge.
Farm | Where | What guests get | Price |
Liberty Hill Farm | Rochester, Vermont | Room in a working dairy farmhouse, family-style meals, chores | $152 per adult, $79 per teen, $73 per child, per night |
Leaping Lamb Farm | Alsea, Oregon | Cabin and farmhouse on a sheep farm | $175 to $400 a night, 2-night minimum (2018) |
White Oak Pastures | Bluffton, Georgia | Cabins on a 2,500-acre cattle operation | $99 to $199 a night (2018) |
Elliott Tree Farm | Hillsburgh, Ontario | Rustic cabin, breakfast, no running water | From CA$165 a night |
Pfisterer Farm | Kenilworth, Ontario | Emperor tent for up to six | CA$238 a night |
Knepp Estate | West Sussex, England | Shepherd's hut | £345 to £385 for 2 midweek nights; £480 to £525 for 3 weekend nights |
Sources: Farm Stay USA, DTN/Progressive Farmer (2018), GuelphToday, Knepp prices page (Nov 2026). Rates change; check each farm.
The simple farm stay pricing formula
Use three numbers.
Your floor. Add up a full year of costs for the unit: toilet rental or septic, linen, cleaning, insurance, platform fees, repairs and your loan payment. Divide by the nights you can honestly expect to book. That is the lowest nightly price that doesn't lose money.
Your market. Find five stays within an hour of your farm that sleep the same number of people. Note their weekend and weekday rates. That is your range.
Your farm premium. Add for what only a working farm offers: animals, chores, a harvest, a farm breakfast, a creek. Liberty Hill charges per person because guests are buying the farm life, not the room.
Here is an example with real prices. Say you rent one portable toilet at the top of Fixr's range, $500 a month, for a five-month season. That's $2,500. Add one bell tent at $1,729.99. That's $4,229.99 before beds, linen or your time.
If you book 60 nights in that first season, that's about $70 a night just to cover those two items. Your real floor will be higher once you add the rest. Replace these numbers with your own quotes.
Field-Tested Play: Set a two-night minimum from day one. Leaping Lamb asked for two nights. Knepp sells its huts in two-night midweek and three-night weekend blocks. Fewer changeovers means less laundry, less cleaning and more of each booking kept. |
Reality Check: Don't copy the top of the range on day one. A new listing with no reviews competes on trust, not just views. Open at a fair market rate, collect your first ten reviews, then raise prices for dates six months out and watch what happens. |
For package ideas that lift the price without more units, see the 'Harvest Your Dinner' farm stay package. For a meal guests will pay a set price for, see how to host a farm to table dinner.
Step 6: Expect Real Occupancy, Not Platform Dreams
Your price only matters if nights get booked. Here is what real farms and real data show.
Farm or source | What was reported |
Leaping Lamb Farm, Oregon | Cabin booked about 60% of the year (OSU, 2010); booked solid most weekends mid-March to Labor Day (DTN, 2018) |
Pleasant Pines Stables, Pennsylvania | "anywhere from 85% to 90% booked" from March to about the end of October (Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept 2026) |
Shelterbelt Farm, New York | One tent booked every night from opening on 26 June 2020 (Cornell, 2020) |
Pfisterer Farm, Ontario | Fully booked for the rest of its first summer after opening in June 2020 (GuelphToday) |
US campgrounds overall | Demand Pressure Index of 50.4% in June 2026, the first reading above 50% (OHPI) |
Three lessons stand out.
First, the season matters more than the year. Pleasant Pines reports 85% to 90% from March to October. That says nothing about January. Leaping Lamb's winter bookings were mostly weekends.
Second, opening-year results can be unusual. Shelterbelt and Pfisterer both opened in summer 2020. Erica Frenay put her full bookings down to pent-up demand during COVID-19.
Third, guests book early. The pricing index reported a median booking window of 127 days in June 2026. If you open in May without listings live by January, you've missed the people planning summer.
Reality Check: Budget your first year on weekends and peak months only. If midweek and shoulder-season nights fill, treat it as a bonus, not the plan. |
Step 7: Design the Stay Around the Farm, Not the Room
The farms that charge more sell the farm itself.
At Liberty Hill Farm, guests can help milk, gather eggs and bottle-feed calves, according to its Farm Stay USA listing. Breakfast and supper are served family-style. Seven Days reports Beth Kennett estimates about 40,000 guests have stayed over four decades.
At Leaping Lamb, guests played in the creek, built hay bale forts, harvested carrots and raspberries and collected eggs, according to Oregon State University.
Keep the work manageable. Pick two or three daily farm moments guests can join. Feeding time. Egg collecting. A walk to the best view at sunset. Then protect the rest of your day.
Put your rules in writing too. Scottie Jones told DTN about one guest who "came out with bags and bags of stuff" after a produce offer. Her advice was to set expectations in a contract.
Field-Tested Play: Write a one-page guest agreement before your first booking. Cover check-in times, quiet hours, where guests can and can't go, what they may pick, the "danger tour" on arrival, pets and fires. Send it with every confirmation. |
For more on what guests expect, Italy is the best teacher. Read what Italy knows about the farm stay business.
Step 8: Get Your First Bookings
You need to be found by the right guests. You have three main routes.
Booking platforms. Airbnb, Hipcamp and similar sites bring guests who are already searching. They charge fees and set some rules. Compare them in farm stay vs Airbnb: which is better for farmers.
Your own website. Direct bookings keep more of each night and let you build a list of past guests. Leaping Lamb leaned mainly on its own website and word of mouth, according to Oregon State University.
Local partners. Scottie Jones advertised in a Portland magazine and through her county tourism board when she started, DTN reported. Your county or regional tourism office wants new places to send visitors.
If you farm in the US, there is also grant money aimed at exactly this. Airbnb and American Farmland Trust launched a Farm to Stay grant of up to $10,000 per farm. Read how to apply for the Airbnb Farm to Stay grant for the dates and eligibility rules.
Field-Tested Play: Take your listing photos in early morning or late afternoon light. Show the bed, the bathroom, the view from the door and one farm moment, like a guest feeding animals. Guests book what they can picture. |
Step 9: Ask Your Accountant These Tax Questions
Lodging income is often taxed differently from crop income. Take these questions to your accountant before your first booking:
Is this income from a trade or business, or rental income, and how will it be taxed?
Do I need to register for and collect a local lodging, occupancy or tourist tax? Does the platform collect it for me?
Can I claim depreciation or capital allowances on the tent, cabin or conversion?
In the UK, how does the end of the furnished holiday lettings regime affect me?
In Wales, will my unit reach 182 let days, and what happens to my rates if it doesn't?
Will VAT or sales tax apply once my turnover grows?
Our guide to agritourism and taxes: questions to ask your accountant goes deeper.
What My Own Farm Taught Me About Repeat Guests
My farm, Bloopy Durians in Bentong, Malaysia, welcomes visitors from all over the world. Many companies send their staff and management to visit.
Our durian season lasts only about four to five months a year. So the most valuable thing we built isn't a building. It's a WhatsApp list of loyal customers who buy whenever durians are available.
The same idea works for farm stays. Every guest who leaves happy is a booking you don't need to buy again. Ask for their email or number at checkout, with permission. Then tell them first when your best weeks open.
Your 30-Day Farm Stay Launch Checklist
Choose one test unit from the cost ladder that fits your land and cash.
Sketch where guests will park, sleep, wash and walk.
Meet your planning or zoning office. Get answers in writing.
Ask the health department about toilets, water and septic.
Ask your insurer, in writing, whether paying overnight guests are covered.
Get three quotes for everything you need to buy or build.
Work out your floor price, your market range and your farm premium.
Write a one-page guest agreement and a five-minute safety walk.
Take photos in good light and write a listing that sells the farm, not the bed.
List on one platform plus your own booking page, with a two-night minimum.
Tell your county or regional tourism office you're open.
After the season, count booked nights and real costs. Only then decide on unit two.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a farm stay?
It depends on the unit. Tent pitches can start with a rented portable toilet at $100 to $500 a month in the US. A bell tent costs about $1,730. UK shepherd's huts from one maker run £26,198 to £50,327 plus VAT. A basic barn conversion starts around $200 per square foot.
Add septic if guests need showers or sinks. Angi puts the average septic system at $8,011.
How much can a farm stay make?
Airbnb says the typical US farm stay host earned about $8,000 in 2025, before costs. In England, farms that provided tourist accommodation and catering earned an average of £8,700 from it in 2024/25. Some farms go much further. By 2018, hospitality was 90% of Leaping Lamb Farm's income.
Do I need a permit to start a farm stay?
Usually, yes, but the type of permit depends on where you farm. US counties often require zoning approval, health permits and building permits. England allows temporary tent campsites for up to 60 days a year under Class BC, with conditions. British Columbia caps agri-tourism accommodation at 10 sleeping units in the ALR. Ask your local office before you spend money.
How much should I charge per night for a farm stay?
Start from three numbers: your cost floor, the rates of five similar stays nearby, and a premium for the farm experience. For reference, US private campsite hosts averaged $78.59 a night and standalone glamping averaged $297.91 in June 2026. The US farm stays in this article charge from $99 to $400 a night, though some of those rates date from 2018.
Does my farm insurance cover overnight guests?
Don't assume it does. Ask your agent in writing whether paying overnight guests and the farm activities they join are covered. Platform cover helps but has limits. Airbnb's host liability insurance provides $1 million for stays booked through Airbnb, with exclusions.
What is the cheapest way to start a farm stay?
A spare room in your farmhouse or a few tent pitches with a rented toilet. Both let you test demand before you build anything. In England, the 60-day Class BC right lets you try a tent campsite without full planning permission, if you meet its conditions.
How many nights a year will a farm stay be booked?
Real farms report very different results. Leaping Lamb's cabin was booked about 60% of the year in 2010. Pleasant Pines Stables in Pennsylvania says it is 85% to 90% booked from March to about October. Budget your first year on weekends and peak months only.
Your Next Step
If you plan to borrow for a cabin, glamping site or barn conversion, your lender will want a plan with real numbers. The Bank-Ready Agritourism Business Plan is a 38-page PDF ebook with printable fill-in worksheets for a three-year projection, a monthly cash flow and a risk register. It's written for farm owners borrowing to add attractions or venues, including farm stays.
Not sure your farm is ready for overnight guests yet? The free Farm Readiness Quiz shows where your farm stands and what to fix first.
Want more ways to earn from the land you already have? The free ebook 150 Ways to Unlock Hidden Wealth From Your Farm gives you 150 ways to earn more from the land, buildings and skills you already have, so you can pick the ideas that fit your farm, your time and your budget.
P.S. Scottie Jones didn't start with a lodge. She started with one small cabin built for her daughter and a permit from her county. Before that, her farm was "going in the tank." Your first farm stay can be just as small. Ask the questions, open one unit, and let the bookings tell you when to build the next.
Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun. This article is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice.
Sources
DTN/Progressive Farmer, Claire Vath, "Be Our Guest" (1 Jan 2018)
Oregon State University Small Farms, Melissa Fery, "Leaping Lamb Farm Stay" (2010, updated 2024)
Seven Days, Melissa Pasanen, Liberty Hill Farm (6 Dec 2022)
VTDigger, Kate Lewton, "Agritourism brings second income to Vermont farmers" (25 Jul 2025)
Farm Stay USA: Liberty Hill Farm Inn listing (checked Nov 2026)
Philadelphia Inquirer, Jason Nark, Pennsylvania farm stays (28 Sep 2026)
Cornell Small Farms Program, Erica Frenay, "Consider Glamping to Diversify Income from Your Scenic Pastures" (27 Jul 2020)
GuelphToday: farm stays in Wellington County, Ontario
Knepp: prices page (checked Nov 2026)
Airbnb Newsroom: Farm to Stay grant program and farm stay report (23 Sep 2026)
Fox News, Olivianna Calmes, "Farmers offering on-site vacation rentals to combat rising costs" (23 Sep 2026)
RV PRO: Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index, June 2026 (25 Jun 2026)
Defra: Farm Accounts in England, chapter 5, diversification (updated 12 May 2026)
NFU: New extension to temporary campsite and filming rules in England (19 Jul 2023)
Welsh Government: New tax rules for second homes (1 Mar 2022)
ACCA: Furnished holiday lettings tax regime abolished 1 April 2025 (Oct 2024)
BC Agricultural Land Commission: Information Bulletin 06, tourist and agri-tourism accommodation in the ALR (16 Jul 2024)
Durham Region: Agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses (Ontario guidance summary)
Airbnb: Host protection insurance (checked Nov 2026)
Fixr: Portable toilet rental costs (31 Jan 2025)
Tractor Supply: White Duck Outdoors 8-Person Avalon bell tent (checked Nov 2026)
Angi: How much does a septic system cost (2025 data)
HomeGuide: Barn conversion cost
Timeless Spaces: shepherd hut prices (2026)
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