People hoping to rent their homes and cars for the Super Bowl may be betting on a gamble that won't pay off.
Attorneys say that renting is not as easy as handing over the keys and cashing the check.
"Their regular car insurance or homeowner's insurance isn't going to cover them for any of their negligence that would cause somebody harm," said Art Brender, a Fort Worth attorney. "Anybody that's thinking of doing this needs to contact first their insurance agent."
Contracts can legally protect a homeowner's property, but there's no telling what could happen. If an item is destroyed or stolen, there is little recourse, especially if the renter is from out of state.
"They could sue them here because it was missing here, but then they are going to have to try to enforce that judgment in another state," Brender said.
He also said that doing background checks on potential renters may not be helpful.
"I think that's another thing -- when you're advertising on Craigslist, you don't know who you are dealing with, and it's difficult to find that information out," Brender said. "There are websites where, for a fairly nominal amount -- $25-$50 -- you can supposedly get criminal information, but those are not very accurate."
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But the risks aren't deterring hundreds of homeowners, including Stacia Leeders, who is looking for Super Bowl renters for her North Arlington home on Craigslist.
"Hopefully, nothing will happen, and it will go without a hitch, and I'll do it the next time a cool event comes to Dallas," she said.
Leeders has spent years remodeling her modern, three-bedroom home, which is just 10 minutes away from Cowboys Stadium.
She decided to charge $2,700 per night with a four-night minimum stay, all of which must be paid upfront, after scoping out the competition.
"I called some of the local hotels, and some of the two-star hotels are charging $400 to $500 a night per room, so I figure they have a lot more amenities here and a lot more space," Leeders said.
She said almost anything is negotiable. She has offered to stock the refrigerator and even rent her car along with the house -- for a price, of course.
"I've offered my car, because I understand there are very few cars available for lease," Leeders said.
She's asking $200 a day for her black, seven-passenger Chevy Yukon.
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