Homes turned into rental properties could help solve Pittsburgh hotel dilemma ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in less than two years and hotel space at a premium, people may opt to open their doors to visitors, for a price of course.
Turning your home into a rental property amid a big sporting event coming to town is nothing new for some cities.
It happens annually surrounding the Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, the Masters, the NFL Draft, and even big golf tournaments like the U.S. Open, which will be back in the Pittsburgh area next summer.
If you visit the Masters Housing Bureau, there's a a very official-sounding listing of houses people are willing to rent out for Masters week in Augusta, Georgia -- and with it come some eye-popping homes and prices.
Another website has house listings for the U.S. Open, including listings for next year's event at Oakmont Country Club, and there amidst the group is the Liebrock family home in Oakmont.
"We live within walking distance of the golf course," said Emily Liebrock, who teed up the idea with her husband, Tim.
"When she mentioned the prices that people were getting you know, I was right on board with that," he said.
Emily and Tim landed on a price for the week at $30,000, which is on the lower end of the local listings.
With three bedrooms, each having its own suite bathroom, and all of the other amenities of an Oakmont home, the Liebrock couple is ready to do what's needed to rent out to an NFL Draft visitor.
"I was like, well, I can go stay with my sisters for a week," Emily said. "Pack up our pets and just get out of town."
Packing up and getting out of town is a slight inconvenience if they can get anywhere close to $30,000 for the listing.
Tim says they paid $300 for the U.S. Open listing and may list it elsewhere if it doesn't rent by August -- and neither Emily nor Tim are worried about their home.
"The price that the people are paying for this," Tim said. "I don't think we're gonna get any frat guys that are coming in and throw massive parties or anything like that."
Emily and Tim also said that if this goes well, they would absolutely do it again for the NFL Draft in 2026.
The websites that offer the listings leave it up to the homeowner to negotiate the deal, but recommend getting a non-refundable booking deposit and a 10% security deposit that gets returned if there's no damage.
Events like these can lead to bookings being secured easily a year before the event.
We don't know the dates for the 2026 NFL Draft yet, but traffic on these sites and bookings start to increase significantly the closer you get to the date.
Lots and lots of homes are already listed for next year's draft weekend in Green Bay, with some going for $500 to $700 per night.
