Looking to rent a home for the World Cup? Airbnb says interest in Boston-area rentals up 80%
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to draw tourists from all over the globe to the Boston area for seven matches at Foxboro's Gillette Stadium, and they're going to need a place to stay.
Home rental company Airbnb is expecting to host about 17,000 soccer fans in the area this summer for matches between June 13 and July 9.
"We have seen an 80% increase in people looking to book Airbnbs in the Boston region," Airbnb's New England public policy manager Britte McBride told CBS News Boston. "We think that there's going to be pretty high demand."
Airbnb rentals around Boston
McBride said the majority of homes listed on the website are going for $500 a night or less. Airbnb hosts in the Boston area can expect to make about $5,200 if they make their homes available for the duration of the tournament, according to a report from the company.
The report also found that about 64% of people polled for a World Cup survey expressed interest in turning their home into an Airbnb to make some extra cash. As an incentive, the company is offering a $750 bonus to new hosts for the tournament.
"We know that there's going to be adequate supply, but we really want to make sure that people can have the benefit of hosting, that communities can see the benefit of hosting, so the more the merrier as far as we're concerned," McBride said.
Short-term rental rules
Signing up to be a host for Airbnb or other rental platforms like Vrbo isn't an option for many in Massachusetts, however. In fact, the practice is banned in some of the communities closest to Gillette, like the towns of Plainville and Foxboro.
"Under Foxborough's zoning bylaws, short-term rentals are not permitted, which includes listings posted on platforms like Airbnb and similar services," a town spokesperson said. "Renting a home or unit for a short stay is considered a zoning violation."
Airbnb has a list of Massachusetts and Rhode Island ZIP codes that are eligible for hosting and the $750 bonus.
"There are plenty of towns that do allow for short-term rentals that are very close in the vicinity of Foxboro - Wrentham and Sharon spring to mind," McBride said. "In the Greater Boston area, in addition to the city of Boston, there are cities like Revere, which is another city that allows for short-term rentals."
Renting out your driveway for parking isn't an option for Foxboro residents, either, even though Gillette will only have 5,000 parking spots for the World Cup instead of the usual 20,000 for New England Patriots games and concerts. Town bylaws prohibit renting driveways or parking spots without a commercial parking license issued by the Select Board.
