With FIFA World Cup 2026 bringing six matches to Toronto between June 12 and July 2, many Toronto homeowners are wondering whether to list their property as a short-term rental for the tournament period. The opportunity is real — but so are the rules, the registration requirements, and the gap between early projections and what demand actually looks like heading into match week. Here's a plain-language breakdown of what you need to know before listing.
Early projections were optimistic. Some pricing software was forecasting $2,000 per night for well-located properties as recently as December 2025, and Airbnb's own promotional materials cited an average daily rate of $2,715 for Toronto hosts. The actual market heading into the tournament is considerably more modest.
According to Airbnb's Canadian spokesperson, approximately 80% of Toronto listings remain available as matches approach, with the majority priced under $500 per night. Hosts who upgraded their properties specifically for the tournament are reporting bookings well below their targets. One host steps away from BMO Field told the Globe and Mail she has been unable to achieve even $500 per night — far below the $1,000 to $1,500 she was originally targeting.
This pattern is consistent with what happened in other major tournament cities. During Paris 2024, an oversupply of new listings caused average daily rates to settle only 44% above normal, well below initial forecasts. Visitors to major international tournaments often book accommodation months in advance through official channels, leaving last-minute supply to compete on price.
Toronto's short-term rental rules apply equally during the World Cup. There are no special exemptions for the tournament period. Before listing, every host needs to understand these requirements:
You can only short-term rent the home where you actually live — your principal residence. Investment properties, secondary suites in buildings where you don't live, and properties you own but don't occupy as your primary home cannot be listed as short-term rentals in Toronto. This rule eliminates a large portion of the properties that owners might otherwise consider listing for the tournament.
All short-term rental hosts in Toronto must be registered with the City. Registration costs $390 and must be completed before accepting any bookings. Your registration number must appear in your listing on Airbnb, VRBO, or any other platform. Operating without registration exposes you to fines and enforcement action.
Entire-home short-term rentals are limited to 180 nights per year. If you've already hosted guests earlier in 2026, those nights count toward this cap.
Toronto temporarily increased the Municipal Accommodation Tax from 6% to 8.5% for a 14-month period through July 2026, specifically to help fund the city's $380 million FIFA hosting costs. All short-term rental hosts must collect and remit this tax.
Airbnb has offered a US$750 incentive for new entire-home hosts in Toronto who welcome their first guests by July 31, 2026. Some reports indicate the incentive was later increased to US$1,000 for eligible first-time hosts. To qualify, you must be a first-time Airbnb host listing an entire home, and you must register your property with the City of Toronto. Existing hosts on the platform are not eligible for the incentive program.
The honest answer depends on your specific situation. If you own your principal residence in or near Liberty Village, King West, Queen West, or the downtown waterfront, and you're willing to vacate your home during the tournament period, there is legitimate earning potential — even at rates below early projections. Six match days between June 12 and July 2, plus surrounding nights, could generate meaningful income at $300 to $500 per night for well-located properties.
If you were counting on the $2,000 per night projections to justify upgrades or preparations, the math has changed significantly. The oversupply of listings and lower-than-expected international visitor demand have compressed rates substantially.
For property owners who don't live downtown or near the stadium, the tournament has limited relevance for short-term rental income. Distance from Exhibition Place and the downtown core makes it difficult to justify the registration costs and operational effort for a three-week window.
The bottom line for potential hosts: The opportunity exists but is smaller than early projections suggested. Confirm you meet the principal residence requirement before investing time in registration. Price your listing based on actual current market rates rather than December 2025 projections. The $390 registration fee is only worthwhile if you intend to continue hosting after the tournament ends.
Housing advocates have raised legitimate concerns that tournament-related short-term rental activity could pull units from Toronto's already tight long-term rental supply. The average one-bedroom rent in Toronto sits at approximately $2,201 per month as of March 2026, already down nearly 7% year-over-year as new supply has entered the market.
Whether the World Cup materially worsens rental availability for long-term tenants depends largely on how many owners choose to convert long-term leases into short-term rentals for the tournament period. Given the principal residence restriction, the scale of this effect is limited compared to cities with fewer restrictions on short-term rental activity.
Sources: Globe and Mail (June 2026), Airbnb Canada, City of Toronto Short-Term Rental Regulations, Connect CRE Canada, Global News. Updated June 2026.