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A six-bedroom, 4.5-bath home built in 2019 in Woodside markets itself on Airbnb as the “Ultimate World Cup HQ,” complete with a firepit, alfresco dining area, barbecue and space for 11 guests. The property was listed at $11,241 for a minimum five-night stay. More modest is a one-bedroom guesthouse with a private hot tub in Mountain View, also listed on Airbnb at $1,414 for a four-night minimum stay.
Although the two properties offer different experiences, they shared one thing in common in the days leading up to FIFA Men’s World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara: Both were still available.
For some Peninsula homeowners, the World Cup represented an opportunity to generate extra income by renting out spare rooms, guest houses and entire homes to visiting soccer fans. But while the tournament is drawing visitors to the Bay Area, some local listings still had availability in the days leading up to matches, suggesting the payoff may be smaller than many hosts expected.
“My impression is that Mountain View may not be the first place that comes to mind for many World Cup visitors coming to the Bay Area,” said Mahsa, an Airbnb host in Mountain View who declined to share her last name. She has been an Airbnb host since 2021 after a home remodel. “I assume many tourists may be looking first at larger cities or more landmark-based locations, depending on their travel plans, transportation and where the specific … events they are attending are located.”
Mahsa said she uses Airbnb’s Smart Pricing tool, which automatically adjusts rates based on market demand. Despite the World Cup, she said, “I didn’t notice much difference from our typical summer rates.”
The tournament is being played across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, giving visitors a wide range of destinations and lodging options.
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that although hosts around the country prepared for an influx of guests in tournament cities during the games rising airfare costs because of soaring jet fuel prices, expensive ticket prices, visa issues and the fact that the tournament is sprawled across three countries. Locally, SFGATE reported that entire rows of seats were empty at Levi’s Stadium
Still, the tournament appears to be giving local hosts a boost on game days.
There are 5,086 short-term rental listings in the greater San Jose market, which includes Mountain View, Menlo Park, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and Stanford, according to according to short-term rental diagnostics company AirDNA, which tracks Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Booking.com and other rental platforms. Despite that level of competition, hosts in the market saw a notable increase in demand during the opening match.
Bram Gallagher, AirDNA’s director of economics and forecasting, said hosts in the market saw a 20% increase in revenue during the first World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland at Levi’s Stadium on June 13, while occupancy reached 93%.
“A 20% lift in revenue is nothing to sneeze at,” Gallagher said. “And in this market, particularly when we’re talking about one of the highest revenue weekends of the year. … I’m really interested to see what the lift is between the games as well. We’re not going to have data on that just yet.”
The World Cup has generated considerable excitement among short-term rental operators because it is the first time the U.S. has hosted the men’s tournament since platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com became mainstream.
In the months leading up to the tournament, Airbnb encouraged new hosts to list properties in host cities and offered $750 to new hosts in any of the 16 World Cup host cities, including the greater Bay Area.
The company also cited a Deloitte study estimating that Bay Area hosts could earn roughly $450 to $500 per night and about $3,000 on average over the course of the event. The same study ranked the San Francisco Bay Area as the second-strongest FIFA 2026 short-term rental market after Los Angeles.
“It’s a generational opportunity for short-term rental hosts,” said Jeremy Layton, a marketing lead with landlord insurance company Steadily.
“The World Cup was a talk of the (short-term rental) industry for several months leading up to it,” he said. “It’s a big deal. You really get this massive influx of tourism.”
Layton said demand is likely stronger in some cities hosting matches featuring powerhouse teams such as Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and England. Because the tournament is being played in multiple cities and countries, visitors have a wide range of destinations to choose from.
He also noted that local Bay Area regulations can make short-term rentals more difficult to operate than in some other World Cup host regions. Rules vary significantly across the Peninsula and South Bay, with different permit systems, taxes and restrictions from city to city.
For example, in Redwood City, guest houses, cottages, in-law units, accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs permitted after January 2020 cannot be used as short-term rentals, according to the city website. Palo Alto and Mountain View require a business license from each city’s finance department.
For homeowners considering listing their properties during major events, hosting can involve more work than simply posting a listing online.
“It is not just listing a space online,” Mahsa said in an email. “Hosts need to think through cleaning, guest communication, supplies, check-in logistics, maintenance, reviews and occasional last-minute issues. Hosts also need to have a very reliable way to stay reachable for guests, especially around check-in time or if something unexpected comes up. It can be a helpful source of income, but it is definitely not completely passive.”
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