Kenyan landlords with properties listed on the short-term house rental platform Airbnb made Sh38,638.6 ($308) on average in December, owing to increased bookings during the festive season and higher daily charges per night.
According to data from vacation rental research firm AirDNA, revenue increased from an average of Sh25,647 ($206) in October when the occupancy rate was 19% to a rate of 33% in December.
Higher bookings during the holiday season aided the 14-percentage point increase in two months, as more people celebrated the holidays away from home.
The increase indicates that Kenyans and foreigners will travel and spend more during the Christmas season.
The average daily cost of renting a Nairobi home through the short-term rental platform Airbnb increased from $44 (Sh5,461.7) in September to more than $45 (Sh5,602.5) in December.
The fees reflect the average cost of nightly reservations plus cleaning fees.
“The median monthly revenue (nightly rate and cleaning fees) earned over the past 12 months. This revenue figure is for the previous year and does not include taxes, service fees, or additional guest fees,” AirDNA added.
Airbnb saw a 36.8 percent increase in active rentals last year, from 10,251 in January to 14,031 in December.
As families traveled to celebrate the holidays together, the number of Airbnb hosts increased during the holiday season.
Airbnb is popular among travelers looking for inexpensive lodging, a convenient location, and household amenities.
The majority of the properties listed on Airbnb are in Nairobi’s middle-class neighborhoods, such as Kileleshwa, Westlands, Lavington, Kilimani, Yaya, and Valley Arcade.
The cost of a night in one of the Nairobi homes listed on the platform ranges from $15 (Sh1,862) to more than $370. (45,928).
A four-bedroom townhouse in Kileleshwa can be found on Airbnb for up to $124 (Sh15,388) per night, while a two-bedroom cottage in Karen can be found for $135 (Sh16,780).
Samra Apartments and Destination Africa Limited were rated as some of the platform’s top managers, with 4.7 and 4.6 stars, respectively.
Air conditioning, parking, internet, cable TV, a kitchen, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a washer and dryer, and other amenities are available.
On the platform, there were 12,961 active rentals, with three out of every four renters listing their entire home for occupancy (75 per cent or 9,703 houses).
“Active rentals have at least one reserved or available day in the last month,” according to AirDNA.
According to the research firm AirDNA, 44% of the houses listed on the platform are one-bedroom, 29% are two-bedroom, 15% are three-bedroom, and 9% are studio apartments.
Only 1% of rental properties have more than five bedrooms.
