Baselane analysis shows Miami, Kansas City, and Dallas-Fort Worth saw the biggest gains, while stricter short-term rental regulations limited growth in cities such as Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.
NEW YORK — The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated a major financial windfall for short-term rental property owners in U.S. host cities, with rental income increasing 60% year over year, according to a new analysis by real estate financial platform Baselane.
The report, based on customer data from hosts active in both June 2025 and June 2026, found that short-term rental operators in the tournament’s 11 U.S. host markets significantly outperformed their counterparts elsewhere in the country. While rental income in host cities rose 60%, comparable operators in non-host markets posted an 11% increase during the same period.
Baselane also found that payouts to hosts in World Cup markets jumped 79% from May to June 2026, surpassing both normal seasonal trends and month-over-month gains recorded in non-host markets.
“The World Cup created a meaningful revenue opportunity for short-term rental owners, but the impact varies dramatically by city,” said Mathias Korder, CEO of Baselane. “The strongest gains are concentrated in markets where visitor demand is high and short-term rental activity is more broadly permitted, while highly regulated cities are seeing a much smaller lift.”
Among host cities, Miami recorded the largest increase in short-term rental income between May and June 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, posting a gain of more than 709%. Kansas City followed with an increase of more than 607%, while Dallas-Fort Worth saw income rise more than 587%.
Other markets also experienced substantial increases, including Atlanta (219%), Houston (214%), the San Francisco Bay Area (156%), Seattle (69%), Philadelphia (68%), Boston (45%), New York/New Jersey (23%), and Los Angeles (12%).
The analysis highlighted several property owners who experienced dramatic spikes in earnings during the tournament. In Atlanta, one owner generated approximately $16,000 from a single rental property over four weeks, compared with a typical monthly income of about $1,200. In Kansas City, an owner with three properties earned nearly $13,900 during the tournament, roughly seven times the normal monthly revenue.
A Dallas-Fort Worth operator managing nine properties generated approximately $25,000 during the World Cup, more than double the property’s typical monthly income. Meanwhile, a professional operator with 23 units, including 14 in Seattle, earned approximately $216,000 over four weeks, compared with about $81,000 in a typical month.
According to Baselane, local regulations governing short-term rentals played a significant role in determining how much property owners benefited from the surge in visitor demand.
Host cities where short-term rentals are broadly permitted experienced an average 421% increase in rental income compared with June 2025. Markets with moderate restrictions saw a 75% increase, while highly regulated markets—including Boston, New York, and Los Angeles—recorded a more modest 18% increase.
The findings suggest that while major international events can generate strong demand for temporary accommodations, local policies may influence how much of the economic benefit reaches property owners.
“Major events like the World Cup can create a significant revenue opportunity for short-term rental owners, but local market conditions determine how much of that demand they can actually capture,” Korder said. “That makes financial visibility critical. Owners need to understand not just that revenue increased, but where the gains came from, how costs changed, and whether the lift reflects a one-time event or a longer-term investment opportunity.”
Baselane provides banking, bookkeeping, and financial management services for real estate investors and analyzed customer transaction data to measure the World Cup’s impact on short-term rental income across U.S. host markets.
