Super Bowl LI is coming in in just a few short weeks, and, despite the sudden drop in ticket sale prices after the Dallas Cowboys lost, tickets are still going at a minimum of $3,349 for the game.
While many can agree that there’s really no point in seeing the Super Bowl now that the Cowboys won’t be playing (I may or may not have debated calling into work on account of being depressed), that hasn’t stopped prices from shooting through the roof on Airbnb, a short-term house rental site, for the Houston area.
Just how much did prices shoot up? See for yourself. Here is a screenshot of a cluster of rentals available for the last weekend in January:
Click to Enlarge
(Source: Airbnb)
Now, compare that with the rentals available just one week later, on the night of the Super Bowl on February 5th, and the prices on those rentals:
Click to Enlarge
(Source: Airbnb)
And who knows, the prices could see even more increases. The Houston Texans also lost this weekend, meaning the fans at the super bowl won't be locals. As the post-season draws to a close, more and more fans will be buying up rooms in the city, anxious to see their team win.
How much Airbnb will change the atmosphere of the city during Super Bowl weekend is yet to be seen. Now, instead of rowdy fans camped out at downtown bars or in hotels, they will be intertwined in the neighborhoods of the city.
Some experts argue that these kinds of profits are just the type that keep many homes vacant as owners use them for Airbnb rentals instead of putting them on the market. On home is listed as high as $6,120 for just one night.
But exactly how much does Airbnb affect the housing market? Page 44 of HousingWire’s September edition dives deeper into one metro area, New Orleans, as we seek to answer that question.
Disclaimer: Of course I’ll still watch the Super Bowl, there’s always next year for the Cowboys. #Finishthisfight
