Airbnb wants more renters to get in on hosting
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A growing number of apartment buildings nationwide are allowing tenants to bank extra cash by hosting on Airbnb.
Why it matters: Rental affordability has plunged in recent years, and those who rent are feeling especially poor about their finances, according to the Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Between the lines: Many landlords don't permit short-term rentals, but some big names including Greystar and Sentral have joined Airbnb's apartment platform.
- Apartments accounted for about 16% of U.S. Airbnb listings in April 2024, per AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm.
How it works: In 2022, Airbnb launched Airbnb-friendly apartments (AFA), a marketplace to help renters find apartment buildings where they can use their primary residences for part-time hosting.
- The platform grew last year to include more than 400 apartment buildings across 43 markets nationwide.
- Buildings that partner with Airbnb receive a share of the total booking revenue, typically between 5% and 25%.
- Roughly 1,000 U.S. renters are currently hosting through the program, a number Airbnb hopes to boost.
What they're saying: "Everybody should have the ability to host, or share their home part time, to make some extra income," Jesse Stein, Airbnb's global head of real estate, tells Axios.
- "We don't feel like homeownership should be a barrier."
What's next: The company says it will advocate for short-term rental rules that allow renters in more cities to share their space.
Go deeper: Homeowners are getting rich. Renters? Not so much
