When a veteran photographer moved his primary studio, he didn’t want to lose his city space. Renting it out helped him defray costs without creating an administrative headache.

About six years ago, Boston photographer Bill Horsman moved his primary studio space from Boston to a nearby suburb in Framingham. Not wanting to give up his Boston studio, a great place to meet with clients and shoot portraits or headshots, Horsman sublet a portion to someone else to help defray costs. But he wanted to do more when it came to renting out his studio, and that’s where StudioShare.org came in.

Horsman wasn’t looking to add to the work of running his photography business. He wanted to rent out his space, not turn into a studio rental business. StudioShare.org gave him the tools to monetize his studio without having to deal with administrative headaches like collecting payments and advertising his studio or soliciting renters. Within a few weeks on the platform, Horsman had rented his space out several times without a hitch: money was collected for him in advance of the rental and the renters each found him thanks to a profile complete with photos on the site.

“The whole process is pretty smooth,” says Horsman. “Certainly in terms of the bookkeeping, the way that StudioShare.org takes care of the billing, that definitely does help. It’s nice not to have to deal with getting money from the renters.”

Horsman rents out his studio primarily to younger photographers, thanks to a price point that makes him a competitive option for those just beginning their careers. While he had some apprehension about renting out his space to strangers at first, he’s come up with some strategies for making the rental process smoother for everyone: Check out the photographer: StudioShare.org allows members to set up a profile, including their website and a link to their portfolio. Just viewing a potential renter’s work can give you a lot of insight into their professionalism and reliability. Ask for a deposit check: With Horsman’s first rental, he asked for a separate deposit check prior to the rental date to cover any damage. The rental went fine, and Horsman was able to tear the check up at the end of the session. Screen by phone: While StudioShare.org provides a messaging and scheduling system that allows users to set up and pay for rentals right through the platform, Horsman found value in speaking with someone by phone and getting a better sense of his or her personality. “I haven’t had any trouble,” says Horsman. “The renters have been polite, courteous and respectful of the space.”

“It takes as little as 15 to 20 minutes to deal with a rental,” says Horsman of working with StudioShare.org. “The site makes it easy. The administrative tasks and payments are taken care of, and renting out my studio is as easy as making a couple of phone calls.”

Today, Horsman sublets part of his studio to a colleague while continuing to list it for rent through StudioShare.org, a combination that has proven a manageable and effective way of keeping ownership of his original studio.