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As the costs of travel continue to rise, and the price of anything above a Motel 6 accommodation continues to rise with them, more and more travelers heading to big out-of-state sporting events are looking for options. And they have found them.

Homeowners across the country are increasingly opening up their doors to perfect strangers in an effort to make money off their homes. Meanwhile, more and more tourists heading to Pasadena, California for the annual Rose Bowl, or Dallas, Texas for the recent Super Bowl, for example, are opting for the “lived in” feel of someone else’s TV room or outdoor patio over the staleness of a hotel room.

This is a relatively new phenomenon in some areas, but it’s catching on fast. Homes in the Pasadena area that are listed as available for rent during the city’s annual Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1 each year include two-bedroom condos for $95 a night on up to luxury 8-bedroom homes overlooking the Arroyo Seco Valley and the Bowl itself for dollars more. Owners typically pay a management fee, which covers the online listing, photos of the property and makes e-mailing communication between them and potential renters available 24/7.

If you live somewhere near where a major tournament is taking place, be it golf, the Super Bowl, or The Olympics, you may find that this could be the ideal money-making idea for you to earn some extra cash from your home. The vetting process varies from company to company and, in many cases, leaves it up to the renters to fully manage final details of their rental agreements. But in general, these companies facilitate the online list-to-lease process, which includes uploading photos, writing ads, and tracking hits and leads.

For renters, there is usually no fee, but cleaning fees and other charges may be added on by the owner at will, which you should always make sure you have hammered out ahead of time so there are no surprises in your lease agreement.

Length of stays are varying anywhere between three days to three weeks or more, depending on the duration of the event. The phenomenon is worldwide: As host to the 2000 Olympics, Sydney residents began renting out their properties and Londoners are already following suit, reportedly taking bookings for the Olympics slated to come to their fair city in 2012.

The advantages of renting out someone’s home are as varied as the properties themselves. You can find yourself the temporary guest at a hillside mansion overlooking the ocean or tucked away in a smaller two-bedroom cottage that makes up for space with the added coziness of the family cat, an outdoor barbecue and fire pit, and a fully stocked entertainment room.

Homeowners are looking for ways to generate income from their property to cover their vacations, which they time to coincide with big sporting events. It’s a win-win for both owner and visitor, and experts say the trend is spreading fast.

Realtors® are also getting in on the action, listing bank-owned properties, and there are plenty of them out there, as temporary vacation homes for sporting event attendees. This is one way to keep a property looking lived in while the foreclosure process takes its course, and often that can mean a year or more.

Of course, if you’re squeamish about other peoples’ stuff, like towels, sheets, pillows and other items, you can usually bring in your own. But for the most part, vacation homes listed for big sporting events are on par with some of the best hotels in the area. The price ranges are suited for every budget. You get the added perk of being able to buy your own groceries, cook a meal and sit back and enjoy the feeling of “home” after a big sporting event. You also get to avoid the sound of an elevator door opening and closing all night or that party two rooms down from yours that went out of bounds somewhere between 2 a.m. and your flight home the next morning.