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Steer Clear of These 9 Cities With High Airbnb Fees

Seasons change. Travel beckons. Before you book your stay, take note of these cities with high Airbnb fees. I feel like I’m writing a lot about fees these days. And…

Steer Clear of These 9 Cities With High Airbnb Fees

(Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for WIRED25 )

Seasons change. Travel beckons. Before you book your stay, take note of these cities with high Airbnb fees.

I feel like I'm writing a lot about fees these days. And I am! Because let's face it: "that's how they get ya!" I don't know why I put that in quotes. Someone famous probably said something to that effect some time ago and it got stuck in my head. But yes, hidden fees are a constant concern of consumers of every ilk. Ticketmaster has been in the spotlight as of late, and for good reason. Concert ticket prices are insane, and it will likely stay that way. Unless the government steps up and does something about those hidden fees.

Could we be seeing a similar situation with Airbnb? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, however: Those pesky hidden fees are popping up as users are tapping the app to book a vacation. This recent study from Forbes outlines the cities with the worst Airbnb fees. And it's an eye-opener. Forbes Advisor analyzed 32,000 listings in the 100 most popular Airbnb cities and towns, with a keen eye on trends for nightly rates, cleaning fees, and taxes. Let's take a look and see what they found.

Steer Clear of These 9 Cities With High Airbnb Fees

From the Massachusetts perspective, Boston fared pretty well, landing at 48 on the Top 100 list. A Boston Airbnb booking will run you an average of 36% in fees on top of of your nightly rate, which is in line with the nationwide average. Two other Massachusetts markets made the list: Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. We won't even bother getting into Nantucket's fees, as they're one of only two entries on the list with a nightly rate that tops $1000.

So what are the nine cities you should avoid if you're looking to avoid fees?

1) Atlanta, GA

Nightly rate: $192

Total fees: 48%

2) Phoenix, AZ

Nightly rate: $202

Total fees: 47%

3) Fort Myers Beach, FL

Nightly rate: $248

Total fees: 46%

4) Davenport, FL

Nightly rate: $166

Total fees: 45%

5) Memphis, TN

Nightly rate: $215

Total fees: 45%

6) Park City, UT

Nightly rate: $293

Total fees: 45%

7) Scottsdale, AZ

Nightly rate: $253

Total fees: 45%

8) Houston, TX

Nightly rate: $193

Total fees: 45%

9) New Orleans, LA

Nightly rate: $203

Total fees: 45%

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.