Introducing Airbnb-friendly apartments

As part of our ongoing efforts to make hosting more accessible to more people, we are introducing Airbnb-friendly apartments – an easier way for renters to find a place to live where they can host on Airbnb part-time. Renters interested in hosting a spare room, or their entire apartment when they’re out of town, can browse more than 175 Airbnb-friendly apartment buildings, subject to availability, in 25+ markets across the US, including Houston, Phoenix, and Jacksonville.

Airbnb-friendly apartments are part of Airbnb’s broader efforts to help more people tap into the economic benefits of hosting at a time when many are trying to keep up with the rising cost of living. Over a three month period, renters who hosted in Airbnb-friendly apartment buildings included in the marketplace hosted on average nine nights per month and earned on average $900 per month¹.

“Airbnb was founded during the Great Recession when Brian and Joe needed help affording their rent, and now Airbnb-friendly apartments build on that founding story by making it easier for people to reap the economic benefits of hosting. As the cost of living continues to rise, renters can use the extra income earned by hosting part-time on Airbnb to contribute to their rent, save for a home, or pay for other living expenses.” said Nathan Blecharzyck, Airbnb Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer. 

Prospective renters in the US can visit airbnb.com/airbnb-friendly to discover Airbnb-friendly apartments in their area or another city. This new program provides prospective renters who wish to host part-time with information and tools, including:

• Browse Airbnb-friendly apartments – Prospective renters can explore a variety of Airbnb-friendly buildings at different price points and locations. They can browse available apartments, view floor plans, and what each building offers.
• Earnings calculator – Prospective renters can use an interactive, custom-built calculator to get an estimate of how much money they could earn by hosting part-time. Calculator users can select various options such as apartment size, or how many nights renters want to host, to receive an estimate of potential earnings per month.
• Connect with building management – Prospective renters can view additional information on individual buildings, including interior and exterior photos and information about what’s nearby.  Building management also can answer specific questions about a building, schedule in-person tours and start the leasing process.
• Access to Airbnb Setup – Earlier this month we introduced Airbnb Setup, a simple way for new Hosts to put their place on Airbnb — from their first question to their first guest. Airbnb Setup will be available to new renters in Airbnb-friendly apartments as they get started hosting– it offers free, one-to-one guidance from a Superhost along with the option to host an experienced guest for your first stay.

Helping renters with rising costs of living

According to a recent poll commissioned by Airbnb, nearly three-quarters of US adults support allowing renters to share their apartments on a short-term basis².

Airbnb-friendly apartments help unlock hosting for tenants who may be especially cost burdened right now and whose lease terms and building rules have prevented them from hosting part-time. Consumer prices continue to rise with food, transportation and housing seeing additional increases in October³.

Hosts on Airbnb are using the income earned from sharing their home to help them cover higher costs of living. In the US, 41 percent of Hosts report this as a reason for hosting⁴. We believe that Airbnb-friendly apartments will allow more renters to tap into the economic benefits of home sharing.

Supporting responsible hosting and communities

The apartments are designed to be a renter’s primary residence. To help ensure renters benefit from the program, each building has its own community rules for hosting – including a limit on the number of nights renters can host per year. In addition, all renters are expected to follow local short-term rental rules, building rules and Airbnb’s community standards. 

We believe cities can help renters better afford where they live by supporting Airbnb-friendly apartments and embracing policies that allow renters to share their space. The program will launch in additional cities in the coming months. To learn more, visit airbnb.com/airbnb-friendly.