BUFALO, N.Y. — Even though there are still lots of tickets to be sold and rooms to be booked, many Buffalonians are excited to welcome thousands of out-of-towners during the NCAA tournament.
"For the upcoming basketball tournament, I have a five times repeat customer Caroline and Henry from Queens, New York," John Denecke, one of the highest-rated hosts in Buffalo, says.
Denecke has been a host on Airbnb for the past five years.
"I was once a heavy drinker, but I quit and now my social life is within Airbnb. I meet people from all over the world and I couldn't be happier. They are trustworthy, they are good folks, they bring me gifts. I try to treat them well. I let them know what Buffalo has to offer and what a great city, the City of Good Neighbors is," he said.
According to Airbnb, out of the 300 plus active rentals, like Denecke's listing which is often referred to by guests as 'Sleep Under the Stars,' there are still 222 stays available in Buffalo.
"But we do know around events, certainly supply can be limited and again, for those who might be considering hosting, again, now is the time, because as fans are looking for last-minute places to stay, host can come and help meet that need, firsthand, and earn extra income," Liz Fusco, the public policy and communications with Airbnb said.
"I am no longer working, this is my income. It's not going to make me rich, but it makes me rich in friends. It gives me a purpose. I love it. It's so much fun," Denecke said.
Back in 2017, during the same week of the NCAA tournament, local hosts earned nearly $38,000 with the typical individual making over $265.
"So that sort of again, speaks to the opportunity of hosting right now and again, the ability for the host to set their own price to meet the demand," Fusco said.
Fast forward to 2021, hosts in Buffalo made over $10M in extra income. The typical host earned over $3,000, which is evaluated for about two months' pay in the medium US household.
"And I think that speaks to the community of host here in Buffalo," Fusco said.
With over 900 guests, Denecke's rating is 4.98. Again, he's one of the highest-rated host, if not the highest, in Western New York.
"I take pride in hosting Airbnb. I really enjoy it. I offer special touches that they don't expect. It's a Buffalo thing, you give them more than what they expect and they leave with a positive frame of mind about our great city, the City of Good Neighbors," he said.
If you have not made a reservation, you can book instantly on their website. On the other hand, if you have extra space and would like to be a host, like Denecke, Airbnb said you can do that.
In fact, last year, Airbnb saw new hosts who created their listing get their first booking within three or four days of doing so.