Demand for short-term rental properties, including Airbnb and Vrbo, is surging as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches. But city ordinances are evolving as well, and homeowners may need to check their local rules before making plans.
Deloitte recently estimated that about 305,000 tourists who need accommodations will visit Dallas and other nearby areas during the World Cup from June 11 to July 19, including about 42,000 who are expected to use Airbnb.
By early April, the occupancy rate for short-term rentals in Dallas, or the percentage of available listings booked on a given day, was already about 33% during the group stage of the World Cup. The occupancy rate was just 18% at the same time in 2025, according to April 6 data from AirDNA.
The Bachman/Northwest Highway submarket saw a year-over-year change in occupancy of 182%.
The prices of short-term rentals have jumped, too. According to the AirDNA April 6 data, the average daily rate for available Dallas rentals was $459 during the World Cup’s group stage — 132% higher than in 2025, when it stood at $197.
The booked rate, or the average nightly price people have paid for stays already booked, likewise rose 24% to $213 in Dallas during the group stage from $172 during the same period last year, according to the April 6 data.
As the World Cup nears, municipalities such as Dallas, Highland Park, and University Park are debating policies governing short-term rentals.
Dallas’ City Council has banned short-term rentals in areas with single-family zoning, but the city can’t enforce its rule.
The Dallas Short-Term Rental Alliance sued after the ordinance’s passage in 2023, arguing that the restriction violated Texas’ constitution. The case has made its way to the Supreme Court of Texas.
Both Highland Park and University Park are weighing potential changes to their rules governing short-term rentals.
Highland Park public information officer Lt. Lance Koppa said the town doesn’t currently have an ordinance governing short-term rentals but is rewriting its zoning code and considering the issue.
Koppa didn’t elaborate on any potential specific changes.
University Park city officials have been discussing short-term rentals since 2019.
Changes that city staff say could be on the table include banning short-term rentals citywide, prohibiting them in certain areas, or regulating them citywide. University Park could also delay taking action on the issue.
Some University Park residents, including Trey Howse, say they’re concerned about traffic, noise, and other disruptions associated with short-term rentals.
Howse said he has experienced early-morning knocks on his door and unpermitted cars on his street since a neighboring home became a short-term rental.
But other residents haven’t had issues with short-term visitors.
Mark Hefflefinger said he’s rented out the cottage next door to his house on Airbnb without issues since 2019.
“Most of my people are SMU families, families that used to live in Park Cities that want to visit,” Hefflefinger said. “If it’s managed and well-run, I think (a rental is) a benefit.”
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