Airbnb Rates Reach $1300 per night During Masters

AirbnbWATCH, an affordable housing advocate and consumer watchdog group, released a report this week showing significant price gouging by Augusta Airbnb hosts, many of whom are commercial operators running multiple listings, for rentals during the Masters Tournament weekend.  

The report reveals rates for many Airbnb rentals increasing by thousands of dollars per night during the Masters Tournament weekend.  These are similar to a finding in previously released reports during the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.  Now during the Masters Tournament weekend, a home in downtown Augusta, which is normally rented for $295 per night, was being advertised for $1,300 per night for the weekend.  A typical four-night stay at that property would cost a total of $1,180, but the same length of stay during the Masters Tournament would cost more than $5,200.