New Airbnb hosts could score big this summer.
With the FIFA World Cup coming up in June, millions of people from all over the world will be making plans to attend the biggest sporting event.
New data from Airbnb shows that the demand for stays during the World Cup is surging, with searches for host cities increasing by an average of 80% compared to the same time last year.
In an attempt to make the supply meet the demand, Airbnb is offering a big incentive for new hosts willing to give up their space during the tournament.
New entire home hosts in any of the 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the US who welcome their first guests between now and July 31, 2026, will be eligible to receive $750.
That $750 is on top of what a host can earn from the guests’ stay — and Deloitte estimates that residents of host cities can earn $3,000 on average just by renting out their space on Airbnb during the World Cup.
In New York and New Jersey, where the final will be hosted at MetLife Stadium, Deloitte said hosts can cash in at about $5,700 — the most of any host city.
Deloitte’s study also noted that hosts Los Angeles, another host city, can earn up to $5,100.
“As the world’s biggest sporting event comes to North America, Airbnb is launching its biggest new host incentive ever,” Dave Stephenson, Chief Business Officer at Airbnb, said in a statement.
“Demand for World Cup stays on Airbnb is surging, giving residents of host cities the opportunity to boost their incomes by sharing their homes and the communities they love. There’s truly never been a better time to become a host on Airbnb.”
And a survey from Focaldata commissioned by Airbnb revealed that the extra income a resident can get from hosting is a motivating factor, allowing people to afford basic living costs while sharing their community with tourists.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they would consider renting out space in their homes for the FIFA World Cup — and almost half said the extra income would be their primary motivation.
Almost 90% shared that the extra cash would have either a significant or moderate positive impact on their financial situation, with residents hoping to use it to help clear debts (40%), cover living expenses (35%) and make home improvements (33%).
But it’s not all about the financial gain. Residents surveyed also noted that they would be most excited to share local hidden gems (52%) and their favorite restaurants, cafes and attractions (49%) with guests.
Eligible event zones for new hosts include Atlanta, Boston (including Providence), Dallas (including Fort Worth and Tarrant County), Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles (including Coastal Orange County), Mexico City, Miami (including South Florida Atlantic Coast), Monterrey, New York (including Jersey City), Philadelphia, San Francisco (including South Bay and East Bay), Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
A full list of eligible zip codes is available on Airbnb’s website.
To qualify for Airbnb’s offer, hosts must be new the platform or have had no active listings on the platform as of Feb. 1.
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