Surging Rental Demand: FIFA World Cup 2026 Influence on Host Cities

The FIFA World Cup 2026 match schedule was released on December 5th, showing a significant upward trend in short-term rental bookings in the host cities, as reported by Key Data, a short-term rental analytics firm. According to their analysis, there was a 29% year-over-year increase in net reservations for rental properties during the first week of December, alongside a 25% rise in average daily rates (ADR).

Notably, cities like Kansas City, Greater Philadelphia, Greater Boston, and Guadalajara saw substantial increases in bookings, with net reservations per property increasing by 82%, 80%, 78%, and 70%, respectively. Additionally, Boston experienced an exceptional 102% rise in ADR during this period.

In contrast, areas such as the San Francisco Bay and Monterrey faced declining reservations. Specifically, San Francisco recorded a 31% decline in net reservations, despite a 27% increase in ADR, while Monterrey saw steady reservations with a 49% drop in ADR.

Looking ahead to the World Cup event period spanning from June 11 to July 19, 2026, Key Data forecasts remarkable demand growth. Nights sold are predicted to increase by 298% year-over-year, with revenue per property climbing by 533% and ADR increasing by 63%. Guadalajara is particularly notable, showing a drastic 1,989% increase in event-period reservations, followed by Greater Boston, Kansas City, Greater Philadelphia, and Greater Atlanta.

However, the benefits of the World Cup appear unequal across cities, with Greater Los Angeles and the Vancouver Area witnessing declines in reservations per property even as ADR and revenue per property rise. The San Francisco Bay Area has shown stagnant reservation growth, notwithstanding a 134% increase in ADR. These disparities highlight varying impacts that the World Cup is having on the rental markets across different host cities.