The 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered a significant boost to short-term rental (STR) owners in U.S. host markets, according to new customer data from Baselane, a banking and bookkeeping platform for real estate investors.
Among the same Baselane STR hosts active in both June 2025 and June 2026, rental income across 11 U.S. host markets increased 60 percent year over year. By comparison, income among the same group of hosts in non-host markets grew 11 percent.
Baselane customers in host markets saw a 79 percent increase in short-term rental payouts from May to June 2026, exceeding month-over-month growth in non-host markets and the seasonal increase recorded during the same period last year.
“The World Cup created a meaningful revenue opportunity for short-term rental owners, but the impact varies dramatically by city,” said Mathias Korder, CEO at 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.”
Miami, Kansas City, and Dallas-Fort Worth Post the Largest Increases
In a separate analysis of short-term rental income by market, Baselane found considerable differences among World Cup host cities between May and June 2026 compared to the same period in 2025:
- Miami: 709%+
- Kansas City: 607%+
- Dallas-Fort Worth: 587%+
- Atlanta: 219%+
- Houston: 214%+
- San Francisco Bay Area: 156%+
- Seattle: 69%+
- Philadelphia: 68%+
- Boston: 45%+
- New York/New Jersey: 23%+
- Los Angeles: 12%+
Several Baselane customers experienced especially pronounced increases during the tournament window. The increase was driven by stronger short-term rental demand during the tournament period, with both revenue and booking activity climbing above typical levels.
- Atlanta: The owner of a single rental property generated approximately $16,000 in four weeks, compared with a typical monthly income of roughly $1,200.
- Kansas City: An owner with three local properties generated approximately $13,900 during the tournament period, about seven times the property owner’s normal monthly pace.
- Dallas-Fort Worth: An operator with nine properties, including seven in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, generated approximately $25,000 during the tournament window, compared with roughly $11,000 in a typical month.
- Seattle: A professional operator with 23 units, including 14 in Seattle, generated approximately $216,000 in four weeks, compared with approximately $81,000 in a typical month.
Local Short-Term Rental Rules Shape Who Benefits
Baselane’s analysis also indicates that local regulation may influence how much of the World Cup-related demand property owners can capture.
Short-term rental income in host markets where short-term renting is broadly permitted increased 421 percent compared with June 2025. Markets with moderate restrictions increased 75 percent, while highly regulated markets, including New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, increased 18 percent.
The results suggest that visitor demand alone does not determine the financial impact of a major event. The availability of legal STR inventory can affect how broadly the economic opportunity reaches local 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,” said Mathias Korder, CEO at Baselane. “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.”
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