Airbnb makes it easier for apartment renters to host

Prospective renters can now search for Airbnb-friendly apartment buildings whose policies allow for part-time hosting. 

The San Francisco-based home share company announced Wednesday that it launched a platform to help renters burdened by the high cost of living and "whose lease terms and building rules have prevented them from hosting part-time." 

Airbnb now has a dedicated page to help potential renters search for and even contact over 175 apartment buildings in more than 25 markets across the country including Houston, Tex.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Jacksonville, Fla., Airbnb said. The company expects to add more cities in the coming months. 

With the latest update, renters can see details about each apartment including how much it will cost and the floor plan. They can also get an estimate of how much money they could earn by hosting.

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The apartments will still be a renter’s primary residence. Each building will also have its own community rules for hosting, which "renters are expected to follow" in addition to Airbnb's community standards, Airbnb said. 

Airbnb said the update will, however, "allow more renters to tap into the economic benefits of home sharing." 

According to a survey commissioned by Airbnb, 41% of hosts said they are using their rental income to cover higher living costs due to inflation. 

Renters who have already rented within Airbnb-friendly apartment buildings reported being able to host an average of nine nights per month. They have also earned an average of $900 per month, according to Airbnb. 

"We believe cities can help renters better afford where they live by supporting Airbnb-friendly apartments and embracing policies that allow renters to share their space," Airbnb said in a blog post. 

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The move also marks the company's latest effort in trying to remove any barriers that may keep people from signing up to host. 

During an interview with FOX Business earlier this month, Airbnb co-founder Nate Blecharczyk said there are about 4 million hosts on the platform, but they have seen more than 60 million people come to the hosting page.  

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
ABNB	AIRBNB INC.	133.51	-1.74	-1.29%

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To help, the platform tripled its insurance coverage and began offering free one-to-one guidance for new hosts through a new system called Airbnb Setup. 

Airbnb also updated its platform to make total fees for homes more transparent to address complaints from customers regarding hidden fees when booking. It also improved the checkout process for guests.