Game, set and house: Wimbledon residents are quids in thanks to tennis tournament Airbnb rentals
Lucky Londoners located in Wimbledon are quids in from hosting the annual tennis tournament at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Residents renting out their homes or rooms to visitors wanting to watch a match and perhaps sample an afternoon tea are raking in more than £1,000 each over the next two weeks, according to Airbnb.
The sharing economy firm expects more than 30,000 of them to stay in a home listed through the site while visiting the capital for the tournament, spending a combined £20m on the platform across the capital and £200,000 of that in the south west borough alone.
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“Every year Wimbledon attracts huge numbers of visitors to the capital and demand for places are high, so it’s a great time for anyone who is thinking about hosting to sign up," said Airbnb country manager James McClure.
And it's not the first time residents in the capital have been able to earn a few extra quid from major events. Game night bookings increased by 43 per cent during last year's Rugby World Cup games in London, versus non-game nights.
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"We often find that people start hosting due to a major event in town, like the Olympics in 2012, and they love the experience so much they continue hosting throughout the year," McClure told City PM.
The average per night listing in Wimbledon over the fortnight comes in at £138.