

The number of nights booked at US short-term rentals reached a record high in 2022, as did total revenue, according to AirDNA, which tracks properties listed on the vacation-rental sites Airbnb and Vrbo. The shift has sparked fears of an irreversible slide in the business and a broader economic slowdown.īut the hand-wringing over the idea of a downturn ignores a conflicting, but undeniable, reality: The short-term-rental business is bigger than ever, and some operators are thriving like never before. Whispers of an apocalyptic " Airbnbust" have spread online among short-term-rental hosts facing empty booking calendars, stiff competition for guests, and tumbling earnings.
