While hotel bookings are slower than usual, over 10,000 renters are expected to use Airbnb for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, a 600 percent increase from 2013. WAMU reported that some hosts have begun raising their prices, while others have hesitantly decided to close their doors for the event.
While located in a majority black neighborhood, D.C. resident and Airbnb host Synta Keeling told WAMU, “I was concerned about how [Trump supporters] would treat my neighbors. Are they used to being in a majority minority community, and are they going to have a reaction that would be discriminatory towards me? Because that’s something that I have to be concerned about.”
Despite some Airbnb hosts’ trepidation, bookings are still expected to near an all-time high. In 2009, only 200 guests used Airbnb to book rentals during the inauguration. Four years later, approximately 1,300 guests used the site for the inauguration, as reported by WAMU. Airbnb anticipates D.C. area hosts to earn at least $3.5 million this year, over 10 times the earnings from 2013.
The neighborhoods expected to gain the most attention from Airbnb renters include Columbia Heights, H Street Corridor, and Adams Morgan.
• Among Some Airbnb Hosts, A Sense Of Unease Over Inauguration [WAMU]
• Airbnb bookings in D.C. are nearing an all-time high for Trump’s inauguration [The Washington Post]
• Following Trump win, inauguration hotel bookings in D.C. slower than usual [Curbed DC]