Study Shows Majority Of DC’s Airbnb Hosts Rent Just One Unit
A recent study shows the vast majority of Airbnb hosts in the District are renting out only a single unit, a stark contrast to statistics cited by hotel industry interests that have been pushing for regulations in the homesharing industry.
The single unit stat comes from a study conducted by Penn State University’s Center for Hospitality Real Estate Strategy, which was funded by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Washington Business Journal reports. The data shows that nearly 83% of Airbnb hosts renting out entire apartments during the study period were renting just a single unit, while only 2.7% of the over 4,000 Airbnb hosts in the District could be considered “full-time operators,” or those that rent one or more units 360-plus days a year.
Hotel workers union Unite-Here Local 25 pegged the multi-unit DC Airbnb host number at 40% back in September. The union is backing two bills sponsored by Councilman Vincent Orange, both of which aim to heavily regulate Airbnb rentals in DC. [WBJ]
