Airbnb: Close to 140,000 guests hosted on LI in 2018
Nassau and Suffolk hosts earned almost $50 million, the home-sharing service said. Credit: Getty Images/GoodLifeStudio
Airbnb Inc. hosts on Long Island boarded almost 140,000 guests in 2018, earning almost $50 million, the home-sharing service said.
Suffolk had 114,200 guest arrivals in 2018, providing $42.1 million in income to that county's hosts, according to the embargoed report released Monday.
Nassau's 25,000 guest arrivals translated to host income of $5.3 million.
Airbnb reported that Suffolk County now has approximately 3,600 hosts while Nassau has about 560.
"We've seen on Long Island and all over New York more families are taking advantage of home sharing," said Liz DeBold Fusco, Northeast press secretary for closely held Airbnb.
Most guests are using the service on Long Island during the summer months, according to previously released Airbnb data.
Long Island had 81,700 guest arrivals from May 25 through Sept. 3, a 38 percent increase compared with the same period in 2017.
Long Island had 81,700 Airbnb guest arrivals from May 25 through Sept. 3, a 38 percent increase compared with the same period in 2017. Credit: Airbnb
The San Francisco-based company did not provide comparative data for all of 2017.
Fusco said the company has reached room occupancy and hotel tax collection agreements with 28 New York State counties. The state has 62 counties, but not all of them have hotel taxes.
She said that talks continue with Nassau and Suffolk on collection of those taxes, which go to promote tourism.
The company, founded in 2008, began rolling out a program called Airbnb Plus in 2018 and Fusco said that in 2019 it would be introduced in the Hamptons.
Hosts apply for listings on Airbnb Plus and their accommodations are inspected for comfort, design and cleanliness, she said.
Fusco said there is no price premium associated with the program.
Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky has been quoted as saying the company "will be ready" for an initial public offering in 2019. But he has not committed to go forward and the company has not filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.
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