KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Lily learned of the buzz surrounding short-term rentals during next year's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Kansas City, so she reached out to one of the top experts in the rental business. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Susan Brown has hosted international guests at her Airbnb homes around Kansas City.
"They wanted real brewed tea, so we got one of these," Brown said as she picked up a kettle. "I think everyone needs to get one of these for the World Cup."
The field is set, and Kansas City now knows which countries will play group stage matches here next summer. That means Brown has been busy.
She's the president of the Kansas City Short-Term Rental Alliance.
"There's a ton of excitement, especially getting Argentina," she said.
She's been fielding questions from homeowners looking to take a shot at the short-term rental market.
"What kind of insurance do you need? What kind of regulations do you need to comply with? What kind of taxes do you need to pay?" she said.
Worldwide short-term rental analytics company AirDNA is tracking stats of short-term rental markets during FIFA World Cup 26.
"The World Cup is going to be the largest booking event ever for the short-term rental industry," said Jamie Lane, chief economist for AirDNA.
Cities across the metro have relaxed regulations on short-term rentals leading up to the World Cup as the region prepares for lodging demand it has never seen before.
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Lane said the Argentina vs. Algeria match set for June 16 drove short-term rental bookings in Kansas City this weekend.
"We essentially doubled the amount of bookings that happened on a given night over the weekend," Lane said.
At this time last year, June 2025 had a 3% occupancy rate for short-term rentals across Vrbo, Airbnb and booking.com, according to Lane. As of now, Lane said June 2026 has a 33% occupancy rate.
Lane said he expects prices to fluctuate based on the supply of short-term rental inventory, which he expects to increase in the spring.
Right now, the average listing for short-term rentals during Kansas City's group stage matches is $435 a night. Typically, the average listing during that same time is set at $190 a night, per Lane.
Brown said many members of the Kansas City Short-Term Rental Alliance utilize AirDNA's data. It recently launched a dashboard with information specific to Kansas City.
"There's so many things that people need to know," Brown said. "You really need to educate yourself."
Brown is also the vice president of the Missouri Vacation Home Alliance. The alliance has resources for those wanting to put their home on the short-term rental market during the World Cup.
Lane said those who want to list their home should consider listing it earlier rather than later.
"If you are able to host one or two times beforehand, get like one or two reviews, that could be one of the biggest returns that you have," he said.
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