Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Short-Term Rental Market
Philadelphia licensing limits hosts, but September 2026 shows $155 ADR, 61.8% occupancy and $2,636 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Philadelphia market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Philadelphia market area is $2,636. average daily rate in the Philadelphia market area is $155. the top operator in the Philadelphia market area is Luxora with 234 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Philadelphia market, which covers 13 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Philadelphia.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Philadelphia short-term rental market is measured here for September 2026, the most recent month in the data. The Philadelphia area STR market posted an average daily rate (ADR) of $155, occupancy of 61.8% and revenue of $2,636 per listing for the month. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 3.7%, ADR is up 10.8% and revenue is up 10.3%, so most of the growth is coming from price rather than extra booked nights. Entire-home listings earn a higher ADR of $190. The market tracks about 12,393 listings. Entire places make up 8,879 of them, private rooms 3,489 and shared rooms 25. By bedroom count, one-bedroom units lead with 7,046 listings, followed by 2,701 two-bedroom, 1,548 three-bedroom, 718 four-bedroom and 360 five-bedroom listings. On distribution, 8,111 listings appear on Airbnb only, 547 on Vrbo only and 3,735 on both platforms. Demand rests on tourism. Philadelphia drew a record 26.6 million visitors in 2024, who spent $4.5 billion, and the city has a population of 1,573,916. Visitors come for Independence National Historical Park, the Liberty Bell Center, Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, sports, dining and conventions at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Calendar year 2026 through September shows occupancy of 60.4%, ADR of $158 and monthly revenue of $2,659, against 60.2%, $143 and $2,456 for all of 2025. Over the longer run, ADR has risen from $97 in 2017 to $143 in 2025, while annual occupancy has stayed in a narrow band between 56.4% and 62.9%. The StaySTRA market score for Philadelphia is 91.8 out of 100, helped by revenue growth (95.5) and seasonality (94.9) scores, while the regulation score is 66.3. Investors should read the licensing section below before underwriting a deal.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 48% |
| Feb | 56% |
| Mar | 59% |
| Apr | 61% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 65% |
| Jul | 65% |
| Aug | 63% |
| Sep | 62% |
| Oct | 62% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 53% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Philadelphia are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Philadelphia market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Philadelphia market as a whole, which includes Philadelphia, so these counts are not Philadelphia-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxora | 234 | 10,051 | ★ 4.52 |
| 2 | PowerHouse | 191 | 634 | ★ 2.70 |
| 3 | Sosuite | 153 | 10,550 | ★ 4.24 |
| 4 | Dillman LLC | 147 | 960 | ★ 4.15 |
| 5 | Properties By Preston | 120 | 402 | ★ 4.06 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Philadelphia?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Philadelphia are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 65.4% |
| vrbo | 4.4% |
| both | 30.1% |
Home Value Trends (Philadelphia)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Philadelphia are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Philadelphia — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Philadelphia, but the rules are layered and they limit who can operate. Every operator needs a Commercial Activity License and a Zoning Permit. There are two paths. Limited lodging applies when the property is the operator’s primary residence, and the operator must live there more than half the year. That path requires a Limited Lodging Operator License costing $150, renewed annually, and whole-home rentals while the operator is away are capped at 180 nights per year. Non-primary-residence properties fall under visitor accommodation use, which requires a Rental License with a hotel designation. In the 10th Council District, only property owners may operate. Limited lodging cannot display signs or change the home’s residential appearance, occupancy is capped at three unrelated persons, and guests are permitted only from 8 a.m. to midnight. Other requirements include smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, lead-safety certification, being current on all city taxes, no outstanding L&I violations, a virtual inspection and one year of recordkeeping. The city Hotel Tax is 8.5%, paid monthly, on top of the 7% Pennsylvania state occupancy tax, for a combined 15.5%. In May and June 2026, Mayor Parker proposed raising the city rate from 8.5% to 14.5% to fund homelessness programs. Council President Kenyatta Johnson effectively killed the increase in the FY27 budget, so the rate remains 8.5% as of mid-2026. Enforcement is rated moderate. A 2025 City Controller review found widespread non-compliance, with many bookings tied to inactive, expired or ineligible licenses, which points to active but uneven enforcement. Confirm current requirements with the city before buying.
Market Comparison
Philadelphia’s September 2026 occupancy is 61.8% and its ADR is $155, so the market earns its revenue through filled nights at moderate rates. Revenue per listing of $2,636 reflects that mix of solid occupancy and moderate pricing. Year over year, occupancy is up 3.7%, ADR is up 10.8% and revenue is up 10.3%. The home value side is also moderate. A typical home value of $237,459 supports a 10.2% gross yield on $24,301 of annualized revenue. Among the market’s operators, the largest are Luxora with 234 listings, PowerHouse with 191, Sosuite with 153, Dillman LLC with 147 and Properties By Preston with 120. Luxora carries a rating of 4.5 across 10,051 reviews, while PowerHouse is rated 2.7 across 634 reviews. Together the five operators manage 845 listings, about 6.8% of the roughly 12,393 tracked in the Philadelphia area STR market, so the market is not dominated by a few firms. Individual investors compete mainly with other individual hosts, which also means a well-run listing can stand out on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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