With FIFA World Cup 2026 landing in Toronto and Vancouver this summer (June 11-July 19, 2026), demand for stays in host cities is already surging, with Airbnb searches for stays up about 80% year-over-year for trips around match dates. Now, Airbnb is offering a new cash incentive to convince more people to list their homes.
The incentive is simple: If you welcome your first guests by July 31, 2026, you might be eligible to earn a bonus of $1,015 CAD. There are a couple of rules: you have to be a new host (or have no active home listings as of Feb 1, 2026), submit your info through Airbnb’s reward page before you publish (or receive the offer directly by email), publish an entire home listing in an eligible event zone (check whether your home’s postal code qualifies for this promotion), and complete a qualifying reservation (with a minimum total price of $100 USD or local equivalent, before taxes). Make sure the stay isn’t cancelled (cancelled stays don’t count!).
A recent Deloitte survey estimates that millions of fans will attend the FIFA World Cup this summer, including 146,000 fans in Toronto and 204,000 fans in Vancouver. During the tournament, Toronto residents could earn about $2,700 USD on average by renting their space on Airbnb.
Click here for more info on the new host incentive, including details on eligibility.
How to put your home on Airbnb for World Cup 2026
If you’re a little iffy about putting your home up on Airbnb, here are a few tips to make the process easy:
- Create your listing: Use “Airbnb Setup” for step-by-step guidance, including writing your description, choosing amenities and uploading pics.
- Decide what you’re hosting: e.g., your entire place vs. a room. Keep in mind that for the World Cup bonus, the program is geared to entire home listings (and again, eligibility depends on event zones).
- Prep the space for your guests: Airbnb’s World Cup hosting guide recommends fresh linens/towels, essential toiletries, reliable Wi-Fi, and of course, cleanliness.
- Set pricing, rules, and booking preferences: Use calendar tools to help you price competitively, choose a cancellation policy that fits your comfort level, and set house rules (e.g., no smoking, no pets, etc.).
- Get covered: Airbnb promotes “AirCover for Hosts,” which includes guest identity verification, reservation screening and coverage amounts (including host damage protection and liability coverage).
And if you’re planning summer 2026 around the World Cup, make sure you’re in Toronto for June 12, 2026! Canada is scheduled to open its home World Cup campaign against the winner of UEFA Playoff A (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales) at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field at Exhibition Place).
Toronto is one of 16 World Cup host cities in North America and will stage six matches (including the first-ever men’s FIFA World Cup match on Canadian soil), as well as a Round of 32 match on July 2, 2026 (click here for the official match schedule).
