World Cup Lifts Short-Term Rental Income, but Local Rules Shape Gains

Host Markets Record Higher Rental Income

Short-term rental operators using Baselane reported a sharp increase in income during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the largest gains concentrated in U.S. host cities where short-term rentals are broadly permitted.

Among Baselane hosts who were active in both June 2025 and June 2026, rental income across 11 U.S. host markets rose 60% year over year. Income for the same group of operators in non-host markets increased 11% over the same period.

The company also reported that short-term rental payouts in host markets increased 79% from May to June 2026. That exceeded both the month-over-month growth in non-host markets and the seasonal increase recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

The figures suggest that the tournament coincided with increased booking activity and revenue for participating operators. However, the size of the change differed substantially among host cities.

Miami, Kansas City and Dallas-Fort Worth Lead

Baselane’s market-level comparison measured changes in short-term rental income from May to June 2026 against the same period in 2025.

Miami recorded the largest increase, at more than 709%. Kansas City followed with growth of more than 607%, while Dallas-Fort Worth posted an increase exceeding 587%.

Other host markets also reported higher income. Atlanta rose more than 219%, Houston increased more than 214%, and the San Francisco Bay Area gained more than 156%. Seattle and Philadelphia recorded increases of more than 69% and 68%, respectively.

The smallest gains were concentrated in several cities with stricter short-term rental regulations. Boston recorded growth of more than 45%, while the New York and New Jersey market increased more than 23%. Los Angeles had the lowest reported increase, at more than 12%.

These percentages compare income over two months with the corresponding period a year earlier. They do not represent estimates for every short-term rental property in those metropolitan areas.

Individual Operators Report Uneven Results

Baselane cited several customer examples to illustrate the range of income changes during the tournament period.

In Atlanta, the owner of one rental property generated about $16,000 over four weeks, compared with a typical monthly income of approximately $1,200. That amounted to more than 13 times the property’s usual monthly income.

A Kansas City owner with three properties generated approximately $13,900 during the tournament period, or about seven times the operator’s normal monthly pace.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, an operator with nine properties, seven of which were in the local area, generated about $25,000 during the tournament window. The operator typically received approximately $11,000 per month.

A larger operator with 23 units, including 14 in Seattle, generated approximately $216,000 over four weeks. The operator’s typical monthly income was about $81,000.

The examples show that income gains depended on factors including location, number of properties and normal revenue levels. They should not be treated as typical outcomes for all hosts.

Local Regulations Affect Available Supply

Baselane grouped host markets according to the degree of local short-term rental regulation. Income in markets where short-term renting is broadly permitted increased 421% compared with June 2025.

Markets with moderate restrictions recorded a 75% increase. Highly regulated markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Boston, posted combined growth of 18%.

The difference suggests that visitor demand was not the only factor affecting operator income. Local licensing requirements, limits on rental duration, primary-residence rules and restrictions on available units can determine how much legal short-term rental supply is available during a major event.

Cities with fewer restrictions may allow more property owners to respond to temporary demand. In more regulated markets, some visitors may instead rely on hotels, longer-term accommodations or rentals outside city boundaries.

Findings Are Limited to Baselane Customers

Baselane based its findings on customer payout transactions from short-term rental and property management platforms. Those platforms included Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, Guesty, Hospitable, Lodgify and Cloudbeds.

The year-over-year figures included income categorized as short-term rent from customers who were active during both comparison periods. Using the same group of hosts helps reduce distortions that could result from customers entering or leaving the dataset.

The analysis does not establish that the World Cup caused every reported increase. Seasonal travel patterns, local events, changes in nightly rates, occupancy levels and the mix of properties could also have affected income.

Baselane also cautioned that its findings reflect only activity among its customers. The results should not be interpreted as estimates for the entire U.S. short-term rental industry or for all operators in World Cup host cities.