Berkeley, California – Serial entrepreneurs, Dun Bendingover and Nagunna Taykit, announced their new venture Berkeley Urban Glamping today at Bendingover’s home in North Berkeley. The company, capitalizing on a zero-enforcement policy of Recreational Vehicle (RV) parking laws, will operate a fleet of used RVs available for short term rental. Initially targeting homeowners who are tired of a lack of affordable hotel and motel options, the business is expected to grow by tapping other markets, which include Berkeley residents in the midst of a trial separation, travelling executives interested in alternative lodging experiences, post docs and visiting professors.
Both Bendingover and Taykit are astute observers of the Berkeley political scene, and the two were riffing on ideas that may halt the rapidly growing RV footprint in Berkeley. The two concluded that the current council makeup would never put an end to this growth and determined that the best thing to do would be to capitalize on the lax enforcement by being first to market with an Urban Glamping experience.
The company has procured two RVs for rent so far, a 2009 Dodge Sprinter and a 2004 Winnebago Winnie. Both vehicles are available for rent inside the city limits of Berkeley and will be equipped with GPS to ensure that they stay inside the boundaries where parking laws are not being enforced. The two indicate that they will be prioritizing rentals for long term Berkeley residents, their guests, and those affiliated with the University. Taykit indicated, “We are doing this because those are the folks most impacted by the lack of affordability in the short-term lodging market.”
While the RVs must remain within the city limits of Berkeley, they will enjoy access to the toniest neighborhoods and the best views. “Berkeley Unified buses students all over town and the Council encourages developers to include below market units alongside market rate units in new construction, all in the name of breaking down the barriers of income inequality,” Bendingover explained. “Our vehicles provide the same opportunities to short-term lodgers, giving them easy access to the Elmwood, Claremont, and Solano enclaves.”
Taykit went on to say, “It became apparent to us that the city has no intention of enforcing any parking limitations on RVs, and while it is vastly upsetting to any sensible Berkeley taxpayer, at this point there is nothing to do but capitalize on this phenomenon for our own personal gain. It doesn’t hurt that we’ve also hit on a way to answer Mayor Arreguìn’s call for programs that ‘meet Berkeley’s tradition of compassion and innovation.’”
Vehicles come equipped with lawn furniture, steroes and externally mounted loudspeakers, as well as BBQ units for lodgers who wish to organize tailgate parties wherever their vehicles are parked. “The city regularly refers to those with no, limited, or temporary shelter as ‘residents’,” Taykit pointed out. “We believe that this will be sufficient for our clients to pull Block Party Permits to close off a street for a celebration with friends and family.”
At a fleet of 2 the business owners indicate that Berkeley Urban Glamping is designed to be cash flow neutral and that subsidizing their own personal use is remuneration enough to justify the effort. Bendingover stated, “sure, at 2 units the economics are not that compelling, but the economics become very compelling at 10 units, and if we could ever get to 100 units parked throughout the city, I expect Nagunna and I will be able to quite our real jobs and travel the world pursuing hobbies with our families.”
This goal may prove to be elusive as there are apparently no barriers to entry for new market entrants. Predicated on the assumption that there will never be any space rent or bureaucratic hurdles to overcome for these units in Berkeley, the two are maintaining very modest goals. “The Bay Area is loaded with other like-minded entrepreneurs and we expect to see others attempt to capitalize on this incredible opportunity. It is for this reason that we are taking a slow growth approach to business expansion. We will grow organically as the market emerges and lets us know what it can support.”
For additional information please feel free to reach out to Dun Bendingover or Nagunna Taykit.