KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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With less than 40 days until the World Cup kicks off, some short-term rental owners are watching bookings climb — but a disconnect between what hosts are charging and what guests are actually paying is emerging as a key storyline heading into the summer.
Scott Brake, a short-term rental owner in the Waldo neighborhood, said June is shaping up to be his best month on record.
"The month of June, with the beginning of the World Cup, will be our best month ever for having a short-term rental. But it's not a windfall where, as I said, we're going to be retiring or taking luxury vacations anytime soon," Brake said.
Brake said his property is booked for all four group stage games, though he is still waiting on bookings for the playoff stage. He credits his location and experience for the success.
"I feel that we're in a very good situation. We've been fortunate enough to be able to book most of our Airbnb games for the earlier games," he said.
But Brake acknowledged that not everyone in the short-term rental community is in the same position.
"Speaking to the other members of the short-term rental community, it seems like a lot of them still have quite a few openings for the first round games," Brake said.
Kansas City leads U.S. host cities in demand
According to AirDNA, a company that tracks the global short-term rental industry, Kansas City is outpacing every other U.S. World Cup host city in demand.
According to Jamie Lane, chief economist for AirDNA, Kansas City also has the highest overall rate.
"The average daily rate that people are listing their units for in Kansas City is higher than Miami, higher than Boston, higher than New York or Los Angeles," Lane said.
AirDNA data show that the average available nightly rate for short-term rentals during group-stage games has surged from $191 in 2025 to $706 in 2026 — a 270% increase. Listings for the days around the quarterfinal rose from $198 to $790 per night on average, a nearly 299% increase. Even on non-game days, available rates jumped from $177 to $542, a 206% increase.
Nightly demand around the group stage game days climbed from 897 nights booked in 2025 to 1,707 in 2026 as of May 4th — a 90% year-over-year increase.
A gap between listed and booked rates
Despite the surge in listed prices, what guests are actually paying tells a different story.
For the days around the group-stage games, the average booked rate rose from $194 in 2025 to $287 in 2026 — a 48% increase. Quarter Finals booked rates went from $219 to $271, a more modest 24% increase.
Lane said the gap is significant.
"There is a disconnect right now between the rates people have been willing to book — more like $300 — and what's still available in the market."
He said hosts face a choice as the tournament approaches.
Lane said guests who wait may end up paying more, or hosts sitting on high-priced, unbooked listings may need to cut rates to fill them.
"Just because you haven't been booked doesn't mean you won't. There's still a lot of time until kickoff. It's going to be the best summer on record for Kansas City," Lane said.
The pricing gap is also showing up on non-game days. Short-term rental occupancy on non-game days fell from 29% in 2025 to 25% in 2026, even as available nightly rates on those same days jumped from $177 to $542.
Northland hosts stay optimistic
In the Northland, we met with the O'Brien family, who manage four of their own properties and 10 for other owners — a business they have been running for three years.
Jay O'Brien, a short-term rental owner and manager, said bookings have been slower than expected, but the trend is moving in the right direction.
"We definitely thought it would have been more," O'Brien said.
Still, O'Brien said the year-over-year comparison keeps him optimistic.
"It's way less than we thought it would be by this time, but it's way more than we were at this time last year. So we're optimistic."
O'Brien said the slowdown is not unique to his properties.
"It's slow across the metro. All the hosts are seeing the same thing, but we're optimistic that it's going to be a late booking crowd."
He said the data backs up that confidence.
"We have several bookings already, so we know the demand is going to be there. It's just going to be a later demand than most people thought, I think."
His outlook for hosts who have held firm on pricing is straightforward.
"It's a patience game right now, and I think the professionals are going to win," O'Brien said. "Once it comes down to the very end, a couple of months from now, the people who waited it out and stood by the data — half a million people are coming here. And so they're going to have to stay somewhere. They just are."
AirDNA's Lane said occupancy rates around group stage games are currently at 50% — and that a wave of last-minute bookings is typical for major events.
"There is going to be a lot more bookings that happen in this sort of lead-up — last five to six weeks before the tournament starts."
He also noted that Kansas City has seen about a 40% increase in short-term rental listings around World Cup dates, adding new inventory to an already competitive market. Even with that new supply, he said, occupancy levels remain well above last year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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