KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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As FIFA 2026 World Cup preparations across the Kansas City metro unfolded, Lawrence short-term rental owners Liza MacKinnon and Tyler Conway heard the same thing.
RELATED | Lawrence resident welcomes Algerian fan into her home
"I heard that it was going to be insane, that there was going to be 650,000 visitors to Kansas City," MacKinnon said.
Conway also heard there would be a demand for lodging.
"There would be a room shortage two hours away from the Kansas City metro," he said.
Conway said of his current bookings, he only knows of two being related to the World Cup. MacKinnon has no bookings.
Conway already owned several short-term rental properties in Lawrence. He said his typical booking is a parent making a trip to town to visit their child at the University of Kansas. He looked at the World Cup matches in Kansas City as a unique opportunity.
“Piqued my interest," Conway said. "I had already been doing short-term rentals, and it was time to grow a little bit.”
Conway said he added eight more short-term rental properties — just a block east of downtown — to Lawrence's market. He said he now has a total of 12 properties across town.
Lawrence has 237 short-term rental licenses currently issued, according to a spokesperson with the city. Of those, 23 are temporary for the duration of the World Cup.
MacKinnon said she decided around December to renovate her home, list it on Airbnb for the World Cup and hopefully recoup some of the costs.
"Got a dishwasher," MacKinnon said. "I haven’t had one in my adult life ever, so this is very exciting."
MacKinnon said she redid her bathroom, installed new countertops in her kitchen, added a fresh coat of paint to her walls and decluttered before listing her home. She also bought an additional bed, which made her short-term rental suitable for eight people.
If she happens to book guests, she'll stay with her friend who lives in town.
"I think when you’re new, people are hesitant [to book your listing]," she said.
As a new Airbnb host, MacKinnon said she's learning to navigate the market. She reduced her daily price from $375 to $200 to stay competitive with other listings in Lawrence.
“When you’re looking at doing something, say with your own home and meet some new people, I think there’s still a good chance that that’s a good success, but if you’re making a big investment into it, I think it has to be more long-term than a single event," Conway said. "So, we’ll roll with it.”
Bram Gallagher, director of economics and forecasting for AirDNA, said the short-term rental research company expects greater demand and higher prices for the Algeria vs. Austria match on Saturday, June 27, in Kansas City.
"[On Friday], we’re already seeing demand up 46% in Lawrence [and] Douglas County. On that Saturday, it’s up 39%," Gallagher said. "For both of those days, prices are up 32% and 36%.”
Conway found last-minute demand after the Argentina vs. Algeria match in Kansas City on Tuesday.
"I think at about 10 p.m., I got a message that just said, ‘Need a place close to game,'" Conway said.
He said his guests had just attended the match at Kansas City Stadium and will be traveling to all of Algeria's matches.
"Hopefully we’ll see them next week," Conway said.
For MacKinnon, she said she hopes to get booked, but she's happy with her updated home.
"It’s been refreshed, repairs were made. It’s a pleasure to live here," she said.
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