Analyze Short-Term Rental Market in

San Diego, like all markets in the world, experiences fluctuations in the number of active listings on the vacation rental market at any one time. The market supply decreases in off-peak season to allow hosts to renovate, inhabit, or rent out long-term. In Q1 (January, February, and March), San Diego sees an average of 10,500 active listings. Later in the year, in Q2 (April, May, and June), that number rises as the weather warms up. It increases to 12,500 and then plateaus in Q3 (July, August, and September) at between 14,000 and 15,000. This number decreases in Q4 (October, November, and December) to between 10,000 and 11,000. This number spikes slightly due to the festive period.

An impressive 86% of active listings in San Diego are ‘entire home’ properties. This means that the advertised rental occupies the whole property on which that listing exists. It means the entire house, apartment, chalet, igloo, cabin, and so on. A clear majority of the listings in San Diego are ‘entire home’ properties, but the next largest segment is ‘private room’ listings. These account for 13% of the total and they typically take the form of a rented room in the host’s residential home. The final segment is ‘shared room’ properties and these account for less than 1% of the total. One-bedroom properties are the most common property type in San Diego, accounting for 30% of the total. Two-bedroom homes are the next most popular with 25% of the total. The least common property type is properties with 5+ bedrooms, as is very common in city areas.

The Occupancy Rate is a sensational way to compare the viability of one potential investment to another. It shows you, in percentage form, how busy a specific market is at any one time. It is calculated by taking the number of bookings from the next 30 days and converting it into a percentage. In Q1, San Diego typically sees an occupancy rate of between 40% and 55%. This rises in Q2 to between 50% and 60%. The most popular is Q1 with an occupancy rate of 75% and Q4 sees a decrease once again, going back to 50% to 60%.

For property investors, the viability of the market is not the only concern. House prices make a big difference for property investors and house prices in San Diego have been decreasing slightly over the last few months. The last proper sales boom in San Diego was in June of 2021. In better news, the median number of days that a property stays on the market in San Diego is 35. Having a house on the market for only 35 days is a great sign of market health. The median house price in San Diego is between $775,000 and $790,000.

Average Daily Rate, paired with Occupancy Rate, is the best way to ascertain the financial viability of any short-term rental market. By combining these two figures, you can estimate your monthly earnings, offset that against property prices and house repayment rates and you’ll have a rough outline of whether investing in this market is potentially profitable for you or not. The Average Daily Rate in San Diego in Q1 sits anywhere between $210 and $230. In Q2, this rises to anything between $240 and $265. The most popular quarter is Q3 with an average daily rate of between $290 to $330. The average then decreases in Q4 back down to between $200 and $220.