Short-term rentals continue to gain market share in global travel.
In 2024, guests booked more than 854 million nights in short-stay accommodation across the EU via online platforms alone, setting an all-time record. At the same time, the global vacation rental market is projected to exceed $105 billion in revenue in 2026, highlighting how central short-term rentals have become to the modern tourism economy.
These numbers reflect more than a post-pandemic rebound. They point to a structural shift in how travelers choose accommodation, how destinations absorb demand, and how digital platforms shape short-term housing markets worldwide.
Key Short Term Rent Stats
- The global short term rental market is valued at over 120 billion USD, showing how quickly short stays have become a mainstream travel option.
- Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo list millions of active properties worldwide, with the strongest growth in urban and tourist heavy regions.
- In many major cities, short term rentals generate 2 to 3 times more revenue per night than traditional long term rentals.
- Average occupancy rates for short term rentals typically range between 55 and 70 percent, depending on location and season.
- Urban destinations tend to have lower occupancy but higher nightly rates, while vacation destinations often show the opposite pattern.
- Guests booking short term rentals stay an average of 3 to 5 nights, making them popular for city breaks and remote work trips.
- Mobile bookings dominate the market, with over 60 percent of reservations made on smartphones or tablets.
- Professional hosts now control a growing share of listings, managing multiple properties rather than a single home.
- In many cities, regulations and licensing rules have reduced available listings, pushing prices higher for compliant properties.
- Cleaning fees and service charges can account for 20 to 30 percent of the total booking cost, influencing guest booking decisions.
- Travelers consistently rate location, cleanliness, and reviews as the most important factors when choosing a short term rental.
- Despite regulation pressure, short term rentals continue to grow, driven by flexible travel habits and demand for home like stays.
How Many Guest Nights Are Booked Through Online Platforms?
Short-term rental demand continues to grow in Europe and beyond.
In the second quarter of 2025, guests spent 245.9 million nights in short-term rental accommodation across the EU through online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia, marking a 17.8% increase compared with the same quarter in 2024 and a 36.8% increase compared with 2023. This includes multi-night stays and highlights solid momentum in travel demand.
Earlier in 2025, during the first quarter, short-term rentals also showed growth with 129.6 million nights spent, up 4.8% versus 2024 and up 34.5% compared with 2023.
Looking at annual totals, short-term rental nights reached 854.1 million in 2024, setting a record and representing an 18.8% increase compared with 2023.
These figures reflect both rising traveler activity and increasing reliance on online platforms for short-term accommodation bookings.
What Share of Accommodation Nights Come From Short-Term Rentals?
Online short-stay accommodation now represents a substantial and growing segment of total guest nights in Europe.
The ongoing data collection effort from Eurostat in cooperation with leading online platforms shows that millions of nights are booked through online collaborative platforms annually, and the volume continues to push higher each year.
In 2025, daily and quarterly data show repeated double-digit growth in nights spent via Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia. This supports broader travel trends showing that short-term rentals have become mainstream alternatives to traditional hotels, especially for leisure travelers and families seeking space, privacy, and flexible check-in/check-out experiences.
How Has Short-Term Rental Growth Evolved Over Time?
Short-term rentals grew rapidly in the years before the pandemic. Between 2018 and 2019, nights booked via collaborative economy platforms in the EU increased by around 14%.
The pandemic temporarily depressed this activity, with guest nights falling sharply in 2020. However, demand rebounded: by 2024 the market not only recovered but exceeded pre-pandemic levels, setting new records in guest night counts and growth rates.
This long-term expansion reflects broader shifts in tourism patterns, including remote work flexibility, leisure travel preference for independent units, and the proliferation of digital booking platforms.
What Are Short-Term Rentals Worth Economically?
Global figures illustrate the broader market size beyond Europe.
According to industry market data, the global vacation rental market was projected to reach about $105.7 billion in revenue in 2025, driven by continued traveler demand and expanding supply.
Growth in revenue corresponds with increased user engagement and the expanding global traveler base, which has continued to grow throughout the early 2020s.
Where Do Travelers Most Frequently Book Short-Term Rentals?
Regional activity varies, but within Europe, certain destinations stand out as major hubs for short-term rental nights:
- Canarias (Spain) led short-term nights in early 2025, with about 8.8 million nights booked.
- Rhône-Alpes (France) and Andalucía (Spain) both attracted millions of nights in the same period.
These figures highlight how diverse tourism hotspots — from islands to mountain regions — help drive short-term rental demand across the continent.
What Patterns Emerge in Booking Growth?
The growth patterns show both year-over-year increases and seasonal preferences:
- Compared with 2024 and 2023, the number of short-term rental nights continued to grow in key quarters of 2025.
- Certain regions recorded high seasonal peaks, with summer and winter periods often the busiest for nights booked via online platforms.
These patterns are consistent with broader tourism trends, where travelers increasingly plan around leisure seasons and look for flexible accommodations.
What Does This Mean for Hosts and the Market?
This sustained growth in nights booked and overall market size has implications for both hosts and rental platforms:
- Rising guest nights signal strong demand.
- Record growth in nights booked suggests market expansion rather than saturation.
- Continued increases in total revenue and accommodation usage highlight the economic importance of short-term rentals as part of the travel ecosystem.
However, cities and policymakers are increasingly paying attention to housing availability and affordability, recognizing that short-term rentals also impact broader housing markets in high-demand locations.
Final Thoughts: What Short-Term Rent Statistics Suggest
Short-term rentals are not a temporary trend. Five key insights for 2025 include:
- Guest nights booked online are expanding year after year, setting new records in major markets.
- Europe’s short-term rental market continues double-digit growth, driven by popularity in both leisure and regional travel.
- Revenue projections remain robust globally, with billions of dollars in market value.
- Nights booked platforms show sustained increases compared with 2023 and 2024.
- Regional hotspots highlight varied travel demand — from island destinations to cultural cities.
For hosts, platforms, and market observers, these data show that short-term rentals remain a core part of the travel economy, and their share of accommodation demand continues to rise.
Sources
- Eurostat – Guest nights booked online continue solid growth, Q2 2025
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20251001-1 - Eurostat – Guest nights booked online show solid growth in Q1 2025
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250702-2 - Eurostat – New records set by online booking platforms in 2024
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250402-1 - Eurostat Statistics Explained – Short-stay accommodation offered via online collaborative economy platforms
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Short-stay_accommodation_offered_via_online_collaborative_economy_platforms - Statista – Global vacation rental market size and trends
https://stayfi.com/vrm-insider/2025/07/28/vacation-rental-statistics/