Actors and others working in the entertainment and recreation industry make up half of the hosts listing properties on the short-term rental site Airbnb, according to study findings presented by the company today.
“Many hosts are aspiring stars in the entertainment industry, and the additional income from Airbnb is what allows them to keep their L.A. dreams alive,” said Bill Lee, senior partner for the research firm Land Econ Group, which conducted the study.
The study, which looked at the economic, social and environmental impacts of Airbnb in Los Angeles, found the 4,490 hosts listing their rentals on the site from May 2013 to April 2014 generated $312 million for the Los Angeles’s economy.
The average age of hosts is 43 and a large percentage have household incomes below the median, the study found.
More than 70 percent of the hosts said the income they received from listing their properties helped them stay in their homes, with those who occasionally list their rentals on the site typically earning $660 a month, the study found.
A third of the hosts said the rental site allows them to support themselves on freelance work, while another third said the rental income gave them the capital to start a new business.
“Home sharing helps Angelenos stay in their homes, pursue creative careers, and share the city they love with visitors from around the world,” Airbnb Regional Head of Public Policy David Owen said.
The studies findings also offered a profile of Airbnb guests, who spend an average of 5.6 nights and pay an average of $1,500 per visit.
Nearly 40 percent of guests told researchers they would not have stayed in Los Angeles or remained in the city quite as long if not for Airbnb rentals, the study found.
Just over 40 percent of the Airbnb guests in Los Angeles came from out of the country, according to the study findings. English is not the primary language for 21 percent of them, which means 28,100 guests who visited in the past year spoke a non-English language on a regular basis, researchers said.
The Airbnb-listed spaces also appeared to use less energy and water than hotels, with the savings equal to the consumption of 1,270 homes, the study found.
Some Los Angeles City Council members are calling for measures to regulate and tax short-term rental companies such as Airbnb, VRBO and Homeaway.
