Ocean View, Delaware Short-Term Rental Market
Ocean View, DE STRs averaged $269/night at 35.3% occupancy in April 2026 (shoulder month) across 15,000+ active listings.
Quick Answer: Ocean View, Delaware is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 35%. average monthly revenue is $2,084. average daily rate is $269. the top operator is Vacasa with 2,346 listings. market score is 49/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Ocean View, Delaware sits approximately one mile inland from Bethany Beach in the Quiet Resorts corridor of Sussex County, serving as a residential-character alternative to oceanfront vacation towns. Visitors come primarily for Atlantic beach access, with the broader Bethany-Fenwick corridor drawing over 15,000 vacationing groups to Bethany Beach in peak summer. As of April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $269 and occupancy of 35.3%. April is a pre-season shoulder month for this beach market. RevPAR stood at $94.77.
Year-over-year shifts in April 2026 were mixed and pronounced: occupancy fell 12.5% while ADR rose 9.2% and revenue declined 9.4%, indicating a meaningful reduction in booked nights alongside strong rate growth by those operators who did fill their calendars.
Active inventory totals approximately 15,107 listings, making this one of the larger beach rental markets in the Mid-Atlantic. Entire-place properties represent 14,952, or 99.0% of the market. The platform distribution is notably different from most markets: 8,577 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,920 on VRBO only, and 2,610 on Airbnb only, reflecting the traditional beach-house rental market’s strong VRBO heritage.
The bedroom mix skews toward larger properties consistent with multi-generational beach rentals: 2-bedroom listings lead at 4,712, followed by 3-bedroom (4,397), 4-bedroom (2,232), 1-bedroom (2,126), and 5-bedroom-plus (1,628). The market’s total score of 48.70 reflects weaker rental demand (47.47) and seasonality (42.57) scores, offset by a standout revenue growth score of 91.54 that indicates strong long-term revenue trajectory.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25% | $272 | $2,023 |
| Feb | 35% | $256 | $2,004 |
| Mar | 40% | $249 | $2,030 |
| Apr | 39% | $262 | $2,334 |
| May | 47% | $304 | $2,768 |
| Jun | 70% | $349 | $5,336 |
| Jul | 79% | $345 | $6,758 |
| Aug | 78% | $342 | $6,733 |
| Sep | 45% | $282 | $3,338 |
| Oct | 26% | $249 | $2,040 |
| Nov | 25% | $256 | $1,898 |
| Dec | 31% | $277 | $2,111 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Ocean View
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 2,346 | 60,626 | ★ 4.36 |
| 2 | Coastal Resort Rentals | 355 | 1,646 | ★ 4.39 |
| 3 | Shoreline Properties | 349 | 1,861 | ★ 4.28 |
| 4 | Central Reservations | 328 | 4,890 | ★ 4.53 |
| 5 | VacayHome Connect | 312 | 593 | ★ 4.18 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Ocean View?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,126 |
| 2 bed | 4,712 |
| 3 bed | 4,397 |
| 4 bed | 2,232 |
| 5 bed | 1,628 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $271 |
| Luxury | $391 |
| Professionally Managed | $287 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,784 |
| Entire Place | $2,098 |
| House | $2,685 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 17.3% |
| vrbo | 25.9% |
| both | 56.8% |
Investment Analysis
Ocean View’s STR investment profile is defined by extreme seasonal concentration, high acquisition costs, and strong long-term revenue growth. The typical home value is $537,316, with a median sale price of $490,808 and median list price of $543,500. For-sale inventory stands at 124 units with 19 median days to pending, indicating reasonable buyer opportunity in a competitive market.
At April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,084 (shoulder month), an investor at the typical home value would see annualized gross revenue of approximately $25,010 on an April-month basis, representing a gross yield of roughly 4.7%. However, this significantly understates peak potential: July delivers $6,758 in average monthly revenue and August $6,733, and the 2025 annual average was $3,858 per month, implying approximately $46,296 in annualized gross revenue based on 2025 full-year performance, representing a yield of approximately 8.6% on the typical home value.
Professionally managed listings command an ADR of $287 versus the all-listings average of $269, a 7% premium. Luxury-tier listings averaged $391 per night, 45% above the market average. House listings average $2,685 per month versus $1,784 for apartments and $2,098 for entire-place listings. The revenue growth score of 91.54 out of 100 is among the highest in this batch, reflecting consistent year-over-year revenue increases: 2024 averaged $3,728 per month and 2025 grew to $3,858.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Ocean View guests book an average of 52.4 days in advance, a planning window of approximately seven to eight weeks. This long lead time reflects the weekly-rental tradition of Delaware beach markets, where vacationing groups book summer weeks months in advance, particularly for July 4th and peak summer periods. Operators benefit from locking in peak-summer pricing (June through August) early and enforcing minimum stays of 5 to 7 nights during those months to capture full-week bookings at premium rates.
Average length of stay is 3.4 nights, which is shorter than might be expected given the long lead time and suggests a mix of full-week summer bookings and shorter shoulder-season stays. During peak summer, minimum-stay enforcement is standard practice among experienced operators and helps prevent fragmentation of high-value week-long inventory. The 52.4-day lead time means that last-minute availability in October through February is difficult to fill; operators should consider flexible minimum stays and active discount pricing in those months rather than holding for bookings that may not materialize.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Ocean View requires every dwelling unit or structure offered for rent within town limits to hold a Town Rental License, governed by Chapter 93 of the Town Code (Ordinance 365) and administered by the Planning, Zoning and Development office. The license costs $150 per year and runs on a calendar-year basis from January 1 through December 31. Renewals postmarked after January 1 carry a $40 late fee. Owners must submit a completed Rental License Application together with a blank copy of the rental property lease agreement.
There is no cap on rental nights per year, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence rule. Properties in residential zones may be rented with a license.
Two layers of tax apply to rental income. The Town of Ocean View imposes a 6% Gross Receipts Tax on all rental income (raised from 5% effective January 1, 2025) under Chapter 93 Section 93-15, paid by the property owner in two installments: rentals booked January 1 through June 30 are due by August 15, and July 1 through December 31 are due by February 15. The State of Delaware also began imposing a 4.5% State Lodging Tax on short-term rental agreements effective January 1, 2025. Combined, guests and owners face approximately 10.5% in taxes on short-term rental income.
Enforcement is moderate. The license requires operators to use reasonable business practices to ensure guests do not create unreasonable noise, engage in disorderly conduct, or violate town code. No district-level short-term rental ban has been adopted in Ocean View.
Market Comparison
Ocean View’s April 2026 occupancy of 35.3% is well below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, though April is a pre-season trough month. The 2025 annual average of 44.5% is also below the national benchmark, reflecting the extreme summer concentration of this market. ADR of $269 is well above the national STR median of approximately $220, reflecting Delaware beach market pricing.
The revenue growth score of 91.54 out of 100 is among the highest in this analysis, indicating that Ocean View has been among the strongest performers nationally on the revenue trajectory dimension. The 2025 annual average of $3,858 per month represents a 3.5% increase over 2024’s $3,728.
The operator landscape is heavily dominated by Vacasa, which leads with 2,346 listings and 60,626 reviews at a 4.36 average rating, representing approximately 15.5% of total active inventory. This is exceptionally high concentration for a single operator. Coastal Resort Rentals is second with 355 listings and 1,646 reviews at a 4.39 rating. Shoreline Properties operates 349 listings with 1,861 reviews at a 4.28 rating. These three operators together account for 3,050 listings, or approximately 20.2% of total active inventory, making Ocean View a notably consolidated market relative to most STR destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ocean View, Delaware
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