Atlanta has the highest Airbnb fees
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Atlanta is the worst city in the country for extra Airbnb fees, according to an analysis from Forbes.
Driving the news: About 48% of the cost of an Airbnb stay in Atlanta is made up of fees — cleaning fee, service fee and taxes — Forbes said.
Why it matters: Short-term rentals have been a godsend for travelers looking to spend the night (or locals a place to put up out-of-town relatives) in popular neighborhoods outside of hotel-heavy Downtown.
- Supporters of local short-term rentals say they "broaden the tourism market and provide many homeowners with necessary supplemental income."
Yes, but: Some listings are used as party houses, however, creating a headache for neighbors. In 2020, Atlanta police were called more than 90 times to a 11,000 square-foot mansion in Buckhead.
- Those complaints spurred the Atlanta City Council to pass an ordinance capping the number of short-term rentals a person could own, among other rules.
- The city has yet to actually enforce the measure after short-term rental owners raised legal concerns.
Zoom in: Atlanta is home to nearly 10,500 short-term rental listings, 67% of which are on Airbnb, according to AirDNA, a short-term rental analysis firm. 8,810 of the listings, or 84%, are whole-house rentals.
By the numbers: Atlanta was the worst city in terms of fees (48%), followed by Phoenix (47%) and Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (46%).
- The average is 36% in fees on top of nightly rates, Forbes found.
- The higher fees make Airbnb prices comparable to hotel rates in some cities.
- The average Airbnb nightly rate in Atlanta is $192.
Zoom out: Forbes Advisor said it looked at 32,000 listings in the 100 most popular Airbnb markets. The analysis reviewed listings for July 2023.