Just How Popular is Airbnb in D.C.?

Photo by PoPville flickr user angela n.

From Airbnb:

“Airbnb, the world’s leading community driven hospitality company, announced today that its Washington, D.C. host community earned a total of approximately $96 million in supplemental income while welcoming approximately 517,500 guest arrivals to the nation’s capital in 2018.

This comes as D.C. residents increasingly embrace the home sharing platform as an opportunity to earn supplemental income and make ends meet. There are now over 6,300 hosts citywide who share their home via Airbnb, typically earning about $10,000 annually in supplemental income.

“This 2018 data clearly shows that home sharing is instrumental to the financial future of thousands of D.C. families as well as our city overall,” said Liz DeBold Fusco, spokesperson for Airbnb. “Each of these $96 million is another dollar in the pockets of the seniors, teachers and many others who sharing their home to make ends meet. And at the same time, each of these 517,500 guests is another customer for our local restaurants and small businesses, helping to boost their bottom line. Short-term rentals are an economic engine — one that we will continue to fight to protect as we kick off 2019.”