Is Washington, DC a Good Airbnb Market in 2026? (Real Data)
The data says:MODERATE
Last updated: April 23, 2026
The short answer
Verdict: Moderate. Median booked nights over the next 30 days: 13. Median over the next 60 days: 9. Based on listing-level data, not estimates.
Verdict: Moderate. 12.3% of 1,030 listings in Washington clear the 75/55 bar, with a median of 13 booked nights in the next 30 days.
What the calendars actually show
We scraped 1,030 active Airbnb calendars in Washington. 18.5% passed the 75% threshold (22+ booked nights in the next 30 days). 25.9% passed the 55% threshold (16+ booked nights in the 30–60 day window). 12.3% cleared both bars. That is the 75/55 framework, applied. More on the 75/55 rule →
What kind of investor wins in Washington
The winners are permitted operators who also act like boutique hoteliers — professional photography, instant-book, automated messaging. Unpermitted hosts see inconsistent booked nights and elevated cancellation exposure.
Regulations to know
DC's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection issues two short-term rental license types: a Short-Term Rental license (host must be present during every stay — effectively, hosted room rentals) and a Vacation Rental license (whole-home use permitted, capped at 90 nights of unhosted use per calendar year). Both require the property to be the host's primary residence with eligibility tied to the Homestead Tax Deduction. LLCs and corporate entities cannot hold a license — only natural persons. Condo and HOA bylaws must affirmatively permit STRs, and most condo buildings do not. Verify parcel-level eligibility before offer.
Last verified: April 25, 2026 · source →
Seasonality
DC's short-term rental seasonality is bimodal with a dominant spring peak. May ($6.7K projected revenue) anchors the high season, driven by cherry blossoms, congressional spring activity, and graduation-season demand. A secondary October peak ($5.9K) reflects federal-fiscal-year-end activity and shoulder-season tourism — distinctively, October outperforms September and rivals June, an unusual pattern for a non-coastal market. The January trough drops to $2,427, roughly 36% of the May peak, with a high-to-low seasonal multiplier of 2.76x. Our April 2026 scrape captures the rising edge toward the May peak. Seasonality data: Rabbu, District of Columbia County curve. For the full listing-level analysis — the four patterns that separate DC's top-performing 12.3% from the rest — see our deep dive at /blog/washington-dc-winning-airbnb-formula.
Should you invest in Washington?
A Moderate verdict is a watchlist signal. Re-run the analysis in 60 days; if the share of listings passing 75/55 is climbing, the market is tipping Strong. If it is dropping, move on.
How we reach a verdict: our methodology →
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What's the average Airbnb occupancy in Washington, DC?
The median listing in our April 2026 scrape booked 13 of the next 30 nights — 43% occupancy. AirDNA's annualized estimate is 58%. The gap reflects the difference between a modeled market-wide average and a listing-level point-in-time calendar read.
Is Airbnb profitable in Washington, DC?
For the top 12% of operators — the 127 listings that pass 75/55 — yes. The DC regulation, however, restricts who can legally operate: LLCs are prohibited, and the property must be the host's primary residence. For owner-occupiers in Capitol Hill or near 14th Street, the math works. For corporate-LLC investor strategies, DC is not a viable market regardless of property quality.
How many Airbnb listings are there in Washington, DC?
AirDNA tracks 9,624 properties across Airbnb and Vrbo in DC. By AirDNA's own data, 55.9% of those listings require minimum stays of 30 nights or more, which fall outside the short-term rental regulatory definition — they're long-term residential leases on the platform. Our April 2026 scrape returned 1,030 active short-term-eligible Airbnb listings with booking data. DC's own government estimate of licensed STRs is approximately 5,100 properties.
What are the best neighborhoods for Airbnb in Washington, DC?
Capitol Hill is the dominant winning zone, with 32.4% of listings there passing 75/55 — nearly 3x the citywide rate. The 14th Street corridor (Logan Circle through U Street) is the secondary cluster at roughly 20% pass rates. Outside these two corridors, pass rates fall to single digits in most neighborhoods. Dupont Circle, often recommended in generic guides, passes at only 4.0% — a third of the citywide rate.
Are there STR regulations in Washington, DC?
Yes — DC has among the strictest STR regulations in any major U.S. market. The host must be a natural person (no LLCs), the property must be their primary residence, and condo or HOA governing documents must affirmatively permit short-term rentals. Two license types exist: Short-Term Rental (hosted only) and Vacation Rental (90-night annual cap on unhosted use). Verify eligibility with DC DLCP before purchase.
How does Washington, DC compare to AirDNA's estimates?
AirDNA estimates DC runs at 58% occupancy annualized across 9,624 listings, with an "Okay" Market Score of 58/100. Our scraped calendars show the median listing at 43% booked nights (next 30 days) as of April 23, 2026 — a 15-percentage-point gap. AirDNA's listing count also overstates the competitive set: 55.9% of their tracked listings require 30+ night minimums and aren't competing for short-term-rental demand. Both data sources are useful — AirDNA for market-level scouting, STRecon for listing-level underwriting.