Inside ‘Roast My Rental’ with Leslie Jones and Jasmine Roth

Roast My Rental gives Jones the chance to take a look inside short-term rentals with terrible reviews—and deliver a well-deserved comedy special centered on the problems with each home. Once she’s delivered her assessment, Roth joins in to help the owner complete a mini remodel. In just 72 hours, Jones, Roth, and their team turn the rental from unlivable to a proper vacation spot by fixing issues previous guests had pointed out.

In the first episode alone, Jones and Roth will have to explore an unsafe loft held up by metal chains, a kitchen full of duct-taped hardware, and what might qualify as the smelliest carpet in the world. But there’s nothing the duo can’t fix.

When it comes to Roth’s design and demolition skills, Jones is, understandably, amazed. “She is just so positive,” Jones tells us. “Like, the way that I would be negative, I would be like, ‘I don’t know J, you’re not gonna be able to do nothing with this.’ And she would be like, ‘No, this is nice, I can do this, this, and this.’” And it’s true—in the first episode alone, you’ll get to watch her turn a dark and dingy cabin into a glorious alpine retreat.

“The way that she makes spaces is realistic,” Jones adds. “You know for sure that this is not fake. She’s redone porches, she’s done built-ins, she’s actively adding actual stuff that can be used. It’s not just for show. And [she’s] showing them how to do it affordably, too.”

Leading with Kindness

Jones may get to roast these rental properties, but for her, it’s also important that she brings an open mind to each property. “These are normal people who took a chance on buying a property… but they’re not designers, and they’re not decorators,” she says. “So you feel bad for them, because you know what their intention was, and you know what they thought when they started—but then they get into it, and it’s like, ‘Oh wow, this is way more than I thought it was gonna be.’”

Across the series, Roast My Rental‘s property owners have one thing in common: they never thought that things could get this bad. From unexpected illnesses to unaffordable property bills, it’s easy to see why it’s simply impossible for each owner to fix things all on their own.

Watching Jones and Roth approach the owners with the help they need feels just as fulfilling as Jones’ clever roasts. As she puts it: “Seeing the relief on their face when we tell them, ‘We’re gonna fix it for you,’… That right there is the main reason I do it.”

Keeping the Motivation Going

Besides the renovated rentals that Jones and Roth leave behind, they also give each owner the gift of motivation. “The good thing is, like, we get to come along and give them the boost. And they get inspired and make more money because of what we renovated, and [they’re] inspired to do the rest of it,” Jones explains.

“They see that they can do it. They see it. Cause you know, sometimes you look at a room, and you go, ‘I don’t know how to make this better.’ But then you have somebody come along and make that room better, then you can see with new eyes, the rest of the house.” And it’s true—long after Jones and Roth have completed their renovations, owners are still continuing to improve the property and receive rave reviews from guests.

How to Watch ‘Roast My Rental’

Roast My Rental will premiere on HGTV on July 24, at 10 p.m. ET. Each episode will also be available to stream on HBO Max the day after its release.