Airbnb hosts earned $1.2m on marathon weekend

Airbnb hosts raked in about $1.2 million while hosting more than 9,000 guests this past weekend when thousands flocked to town for the Vancouver Marathon.

Both totals are new records for the home-sharing platform in Vancouver.

According to figures shared by Airbnb on Monday, there were 9,339 guest arrivals in Vancouver during the weekend, a 36-percent increase over the same dates in 2017. The typical price per night charged by each host was $127.

In comparison, New Year’s Eve — which is one of Airbnb’s biggest nights — saw 6,600 Airbnb guests arrive on Dec. 31, 2017.

It was the busiest weekend for Airbnb since Vancouver officially launched new shortterm regulations on April 18. About five per cent of all hosts this past weekend were firsttime Airbnb hosts — the first-timers earned an average of $282. Meanwhile, longtime hosts earned an average of $375.

“Airbnb is providing important supplemental income for families ... to help them make ends meet,” said Airbnb’s Canadian public policy director Alex Dagg. “We are also pleased that our work with the City of Vancouver on the implementation of new shortterm rental regulations is helping provide the clarity needed for new hosts to join our community. We encourage other platforms to stand up and work with the city as well.”

Guests during marathon weekend came from more than 1,200 cities internationally, representing 75 different countries. About a third of all Airbnb guests were in the 30-to-39 age category. Slightly more hosts were women than men, while eight per cent of hosts were seniors.

The City of Vancouver approved short-term rental regulations last fall and launched the permitting process last month. Pre-existing hosts have until Aug. 31 to apply for and receive a business license from the city.