HOUSTON \u2013 With just over 44 days until the World Cup comes to Houston, many homeowners are considering turning their properties into short-term rentals.<\/p>\n
Airbnb and other booking platforms are making it increasingly easy to estimate potential earnings\u2014but local experts say those numbers don\u2019t tell the full story.<\/p>\n
Thinking about hosting<\/p>\n
Online tools allow users to plug in their address and estimate potential income during major events like the World Cup. But professionals warn that those projections don\u2019t reflect real-world costs.<\/p>\n
Casey Russell, a Houston real estate professional, says preparation alone can come with a price tag.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou definitely have to calculate expenses\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n
He says getting a home ready for guests often requires upfront investment in security and rental setup.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall package, probably between $500 to $1,000\u201d Russell. <\/p>\n
And once bookings begin, the ongoing costs can add up quickly\u2014from cleaning between stays to restocking supplies.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to have soap mounted on the wall, like shampoo, conditioner, towels. There is a hand wash cloth, little slippers, a tooth, toothbrushes, makeup wipes, all of those things you have to purchase\u201d Iman Mora said. <\/p>\n
Doing the math<\/p>\n
Even before factoring in platform fees and taxes, hosts say the numbers can change fast once expenses are included.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
If Airbnb estimates a home could make around $5,000 during World Cup month, that total can shrink after deductions:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Cleaning fees of about $120\u2013$150 per stay<\/p>\n
\u2022 Airbnb service fees of around 3% per booking<\/p>\n
\u2022 Supplies and maintenance averaging about $200 per stay<\/p>\n
\u2022 A $275 city registration fee for short-term rentals<\/p>\n
After those costs, the final take-home amount can look very different from the initial projection.<\/p>\n
Risks for hosts<\/p>\n
Beyond the financial side, there are legal and property risks.<\/p>\n
Casey Russell says homeowners need to be aware of potential issues tied to local rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can find yourself in a lawsuit if you violate the deed restrictions\u201d Russell said. <\/p>\n
He also says property damage is one of the most common concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest risk is property damage\u201d Russell said. <\/p>\n
World Cup demand in Houston<\/p>\n
For some Houston homeowners, the opportunity is already here.<\/p>\n
Imani and Iman Moura say they specifically researched pricing around the tournament before listing their home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just did some research to be able to price it accordingly for the World Cup\u201d Moura said. <\/p>\n
That strategy worked quickly\u2014so quickly that availability disappeared almost immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is not one day available anymore. Like that month it booked all the world from June to July, it is completely booked\u201d Moura said. <\/p>\n
They say the World Cup became their main focus after missing out on other seasonal demand.<\/p>\n
Even with bookings secured, they say the process still requires trust in the platform and careful verification.<\/p>\n
Timing is everything<\/p>\n
Experts say anyone considering listing their home should act quickly. Between HOA approvals, city permits, and preparation time, the process can take weeks or longer.<\/p>\n
With 2026 FIFA World Cup demand approaching fast, missing that window could mean missing peak earning potential altogether.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 With just over 44 days until the World Cup comes to Houston, many homeowners are considering…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":273855,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[16915,37274,54909,56,58,57,3692],"class_list":["post-273854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-airbnb","tag-fifa","tag-hosts","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=273854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=273854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}