Airbnb reports that 2019 rent topped $1 billion in Florida

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Busiest counties for Airbnb business: Miami-Dade, Osceola, Broward, Orange, Polk

Airbnb host properties combined to do more than $1 billion in business in Florida last year, the vacation rental home marketing company announced.

In 2019, the company reported Tuesday, the company’s vacation rental home clients combined to receive $1.2 billion in supplemental income through the rental of vacation rentals to 6.6 million guests to the state in 2019.

That far surpassed the 2018 numbers of a combined $810 million in vacation rental home income from 4.5 million guests drawn to rent properties through Airbnb’s platforms.

The numbers mirror the record-setting pace of travel and tourism in Florida.

“Last year demonstrated another strong year of growth for Airbnb in the Sunshine State as more Florida homeowners than ever embraced the incredible economic opportunity that home sharing offers, and guests took advantage of unique and affordable options on the platform,” Tom Martinelli, Florida policy director for Airbnb, stated in a news release.

“As Florida starts the year with a massive travel event in the Big Game [Super Bowl LIV], Airbnb is proud to help facilitate the travel of tens of thousands of people, while supporting and bolstering the state’s economy.”

The top weekends for Airbnb guests traveling to Florida included the end-of-year holidays, Fourth of July and Spring Break, the company stated.

Miami-Dade County again put up the biggest Florida numbers in the Airbnb platform, hosting 1.2 million people and receiving $261 million in rental revenue. Osceola County was next, with 1 million guests and $135.6 million in rent, according to Airbnb. Broward County was next, with 573,000 guests and $116.7 million; followed by Orange County, 408,000 and $51.4 million; Polk County, 333,000 and $43.2 million; Pinellas County, 331,000 and $67.2 millions; Hillsborough County, 247,000 and $33.7 million; Bay County, 205,000 and $44.1 million; Palm Beach County, 172,000 and $43.4 million; and Okaloosa County, 158,000 and $33 million.

With its 2018 rentals, Airbnb remitted $89.5 million in taxes for Florida and local governments.

Airbnb is the leader in a still rapidly growing sector in Florida that also features HomeAway and its affiliated companies and brands, VRBO and VacationRentals.com.

Scott Powers

Scott Powers is an Orlando-based political journalist with 30+ years’ experience, mostly at newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel and the Columbus Dispatch. He covers local, state and federal politics and space news across much of Central Florida. His career earned numerous journalism awards for stories ranging from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to presidential elections to misplaced nuclear waste. He and his wife Connie have three grown children. Besides them, he’s into mystery and suspense books and movies, rock, blues, basketball, baseball, writing unpublished novels, and being amused. Email him at [email protected].


2 comments

  • BILL LAZAR

    January 24, 2020 at 8:17 am

    And they are having a big negative impact on developing affordable housing in existing neighbothoods. Local govt is less willing to approve a density increase, or ADU, if it might create another ABNB

  • Paula

    January 25, 2020 at 8:25 am

    Don’t forget that most of that rental money is going to non-resident investors of whole-house units and to Airbnb.

    And, think about the money lost from those who cannot live and work and contribute here because of the housing shortage since housing stock is tied up in short-term rentals.

    Finally, think of the money lost because of the unpaid millions residents contribute through volunteering in their community. I don’t see short-term rentals tutoring kids in schools, coaching sports, etc.

Comments are closed.


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