Introducing Airbnb-friendly Visibility on Apartment List
Residents can earn extra money. Operators keep full control.
Today we’re announcing a new partnership with Airbnb that brings Airbnb-friendly apartments directly into Apartment List search.
For residents, this means they can easily identify communities where occasional, compliant hosting is allowed – enabling a way to earn extra income.
For multifamily operators, it’s a governed demand channel where your rules are visible up front, and your approvals, caps, and enforcement remain the source of truth. Policy is made discoverable exactly when intent is highest.
When eligibility is visible in-market, residents and leasing teams operate from the same facts. This launch brings clarity to a space that has long been uncertain. It gives residents flexibility to earn money when they are away and gives operators a structured way to support it with confidence.
Residents can turn unused nights into value without stepping outside community rules. Operators can manage participation through a single policy and process that keeps everything visible, compliant, and easy to oversee across properties.
This is flexibility with structure – freedom for residents and control for operators working in sync.
“Residents want to earn extra money from their apartment. Operators want control over who hosts and how. This partnership solves both: residents see which properties allow hosting before they apply, and operators set the rules and enforce them. Clear transparency and measurable results.
This is also how our Smart Platform will continue to evolve, surfacing real value, giving operators full control, and making every part of the leasing journey more efficient and transparent.”
– Matthew Woods, CEO, Apartment List
How Airbnb-friendly Visibility Works
Where it appears: Airbnb-friendly communities are now clearly visible on Apartment List and can be searched using filters.
What residents see: A simple, factual line sets expectations before any tour or application: “This property allows residents to earn extra money from hosting on Airbnb. Hosting is subject to rules, restrictions, and limitations. Ask property management for details.”
Who sets the rules: Operators do. You define caps, eligibility, approvals, and oversight. Your exact policy appears in discovery so residents and leasing teams always work from the same facts.
Why transparency matters: When residents and operators act on the same information during search, it reduces mismatched expectations and builds trust at scale.
Why Property Managers and Residents Win
For multifamily operators, this partnership strengthens three key levers:
- Control: Manage approvals, caps, eligibility, quiet hours, and enforcement.
- Clarity: Display consistent, factual language during discovery to prevent confusion.
- Consistency: Standardize policy language across properties for training and measurement.
For residents, the program offers three clear advantages:
- Earnings potential: A sanctioned way to host occasionally and earn money—not a workaround, but a program.
- Clarity upfront: Eligibility and limits are visible in search and on listings, setting expectations early.
- Confidence in compliance: Participation happens within the operator’s defined rules and approvals.
Proven Results from Partner Portfolios
- Demand capture: About 50% of Gen Z renters say they’re interested in hosting while away. Clear policies tend to increase match rates and shorten decisions. (RealPage National Multifamily Renter Survey)
- Ancillary revenue: In 2024, Airbnb-friendly partners earned about $3 million in total. The median resident host earned $3,540 from 32 nights. (Airbnb 2024 data on ever-active hosts in US Airbnb-friendly Apartments; median results vary.)
- Retention: One large operator reported a 12% higher renewal rate among hosts compared with non-hosts. (Airbnb Partner & Resident Survey conducted in Q1 2023.)
- Trust: 85% of partners report improved resident sentiment. (Airbnb Partner & Resident Survey, Q1 2023)
- Respect for rules: Guests average 4.9 out of 5 stars on “respecting house rules.” (Airbnb 2024 data across 16,500 reviews in US Airbnb-friendly Apartments)
Where We’re Headed Next
Our mission is simple: to match residents with homes they love at the value they deserve. Everything we build serves that goal by reducing friction, surfacing the right options, and enabling confident decisions.
When we do that well, multifamily operators market themselves more effectively. Better matches mean better demand, fewer surprises, and leasing cycles that move with purpose.
Airbnb-friendly visibility fits that philosophy. It helps residents understand where they can earn responsibly and helps communities present that opportunity within their brand and standards.
Future innovation will build on our Smart Platform foundation – smarter lead nurture, performance-based marketing, and new ways to measure what matters. Every enhancement will follow the same principle: real value, surfaced transparently, measured clearly, delivered at scale.
In a crowded market, true advantage comes from systems that are resident-first by design and operator-forward in results.
Interested in activating Airbnb-friendly visibility for your communities?
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