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Jacksonville seniors are turning to Airbnb to make ends meet

Many Florida senior citizens are making extra money in their golden years by renting out a room or their entire house on Airbnb.

For many, like 70-year old Gina Martinelli, who lives in Riverside, that extra money helps her make ends meet and allows her to age in place.

Martinelli's small two-bedroom house stands out near Boone Park in Riverside with various artistic knick-knacks attached to the house.

Martinelli, an artist and musician, also stands out with her shock of purple hair — and by playing her 60-year old grand piano to guests in her living room.

Her Airbnb guests help her make her mortgage payment every month while keeping her socially active.

"This is going to enable me to stay in place until I drop dead,” Martinelli said. “I cannot share walls with other people with a piano like this."

Those walls, along with the floor and ceiling, are decorated with artwork from all over the world.

"I have Feng Shui the hell out of this place,” Martinelli said. “I really have. Every square inch is covered with Gina Martinelli!"

She's also fond of spiders and dragons. You'll find a spider broach on her blouse and ceramic dragons in many corners of her home. There's a pottery studio in the back and an outdoor area for bands during the summer.

Brenda Young and Todd Long from Deland have booked a room with Martinelli a few times over the past year and a half.

"This isn't going to be for everybody but it is for us," Long said.

"It's an experience. We're making memories and now we have a new friend," Young said.

The couple says they enjoy the eclectic theme of Martinelli's home and the entertainment she provides. Young and Long paid $55 a night for a room and an extra $10 each for breakfast.

Martinelli says the room is rented about 50 percent of the time. It's money that Martinelli relies on.

"My Social Security is extremely low,” Martinelli said. “How do I retire with $900 dollars a month?"

Martinelli says home sharing is supplementing her income to the tune of around $8,000 a year.

Airbnb says 44 percent of Airbnb's hosts in Florida are seniors. In Jacksonville, 130 hosts are over 65 years old.

Martinelli has been renting her home on Airbnb for almost three years while entertaining her guests and showering them with hospitality.

Martinelli says she enjoys meeting people from all over the world giving them a place to stay while giving her a sense of purpose and financial freedom.

The fastest-growing age demographic of Airbnb hosts are people 60 years old and older, according to the company.