D.C. Rental Hosts Are Cashing In on July Fourth

Deanna Reed may have quit her job because of the Trump administration, but she’ll still welcome its supporters into her home.

Reed, who until last May worked in cybersecurity for the federal government, now manages about 100 short-term rentals across the D.C. region. She said almost all of them were booked within minutes of being posted for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, which coincides with the nation’s blockbuster 250th birthday celebrations.

“It’s absolutely a huge uptick,” said Reed, who lives in the District. “The numbers have gone up exponentially.”

Demand for local short-term rentals over that weekend has surged. This year, 87% of properties will be occupied for July Fourth, compared to 72% last year, according to AirDNA, a company that collects and analyzes short-term rental data.

The data also shows that D.C. homeowners are cashing in on a weekend shaped by President Donald Trump, whose Freedom 250 commission received $68 million in taxpayer funds for anniversary celebrations. The market stands in stark contrast to January 2025, when some hosts pulled their properties in protest of the president’s inauguration.

“A lot of people were taking their properties offline based on the type of people that they thought were going to come. They didn’t want them occupying their property,” said Ron Curtis, a native Washingtonian who manages 45 Airbnbs nationally. “But I think people celebrate Independence Day [and] the United States outside of Trump. Two hundred fifty years is a very big deal. It’s a big milestone.”

Reed has been noting where her holiday visitors are coming from, and more people than ever are traveling from Southern states, including Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. Usually it’s New Yorkers, or “city people,” she said.

“Business is business. ...The people are just as nice as anybody else, we still want to welcome them,” Reed said. “The administration is settled. It’s just reality, this is just the new D.C.”

The tourists who will be occupying Adele Currin’s rowhouse in Logan Circle expressly told her they were traveling to the nation’s capital to celebrate America 250. Currin, who also rented her home out over the inauguration, has no qualms about that. She only wishes she had raised her prices.

“I’ve been a little bit blissfully unaware, I feel kind of stupid about it,” said Currin, who’s been renting out her home since 2023. “Then somebody booked it and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I could have made so much more money.’”

This year, 87% of properties will be occupied for July Fourth, compared to 72% last year, according to AirDNA. Lillian Bautista/NOTUS

Other D.C. hosts sensed opportunity. The average daily rate for short-term rental bookings in the District is up 31% from last year, according to AirDNA. Reed said people started booking her properties last summer for the July Fourth celebration, which influenced the dynamic pricing algorithm she uses.

“The price has gone up, because the market is driving that,” she said. “I’ve seen places that are not in the best neighborhoods, that are typically more crime-intense — it doesn’t matter. It’s the Fourth of July, they’re in D.C.”

Reed fielded a record number of requests from other homeowners to partner up and list their properties for the celebrations.

“Some people are like, ‘Hey I’m going out of town for the Fourth of July, are you interested in co-hosting for just that weekend?’” she said.

It’s not that easy: D.C. requires short-term rental hosts to register with the city and get a license. But it’s also not that hard: So long as those homeowners met the requirements and submitted their paperwork, Reed said she helped some get approved within a week.

Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser has even floated a “special events” license that would make it easier for D.C. residents to rent out their homes on special occasions, like an inauguration or Independence Day. That bill is currently in committee.

Even out in Waldorf, Maryland, new host Regina Kim is benefiting from the celebrations in D.C. Kim began renting her home out in March, and had a family book the July 4 weekend in early June. As she prepares for their stay, politics hasn’t crossed her mind.

“When I think about July Fourth, I think about celebration,” she said. “People come together.”