Airbnb superhost's are struggling. With the holidays approaching, folks are looking to travel and book a place to stay while saving every dollar they can. But for airbnb superhosts, they are seeing an airbnbust with decline in bookings. Simply put, they told us inflation is causing a decline in business.
An airbnb comes with everything you need when visiting a new city. To book during Thanksgiving weekend in Caly Hayworth's Airbnb in Flour Bluff, Texas will cost you about $700.
“How can we keep food on the table for everybody and still keep our doors open," said Hayworth.
If superhosts go down any more in pricing, that means sacrificing any profit
"We have bills to pay too just to keep our airbnb's open," said Hayworth.
Airbnb superhosts said bookings have declined due to the increase in gas, food, and travel expenses.
Hayworth is an Airbnb superhost to four homes throughout the coastal bend. She said bookings have declined since the start of this year.
"People want to go on vacations right now but it's just too expensive right now. But you have other priorities. You have work, you have bills, you have life to pay for so vacation kind of gets put on the back burner," said Hayworth.
Stephanie Kover is a superhost for her condo in Port Aransas, Texas during Thanksgiving weekend when we looked, it cost almost $1400 to rent. Now, she's decreased her prices.
"I actually dropped it again since you looked on the pricing so we got someone in for about $1300 total," said Kover.
Another thing Airbnb hosts report as an issue, staffing shortages, especially when it comes to housekeeping.
"Part of that is that "quite quitting" is also going on in the housekeeping airbnb industry," said Kover.
In a recent survey done by Airbnb hosts, asking why they host their space, 41% said it's to earn money to navigate rising prices. Nearly 40% of hosts in the U.S. said the money earned through hosting has helped them stay in their home in 2021.
With Airbnb's not being booked, superhosts can decrease the price, but that has an impact on the overall business.
"We're still paying off a reassessment for loan for hurricane Harvey for reconstruction costs," said Kover.
"It's kind of hard to balance it out especially with inflation and trying to make a living," said Hayworth.
We reached out to Airbnb for an interview about the declines in bookings but they have not responded.
To check out Caly Hayworth's AirBnB's first house click here. For the second house click here.
To check out Stephanie Kover's AirBnB click here.
