Indiana bookings double on short-term rental site Airbnb

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - Nearly 4,000 hosts across Indiana have rented out a home, apartment or space through the online short-term rental site Airbnb.

The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette reports that the company's Indiana bookings increased by 108 percent in one year. The company said Indianapolis alone drew 73,000 visitors in 2017. The state as a whole saw 175,000 guest arrivals.

The company says that amounts to a combined total of about $21 million made by Indiana hosts in 2017. That's about $4,700 in annual income for the typical host.

Indianapolis, South Bend, Bloomington, Michigan City and Fort Wayne have seen the greatest number of Airbnb stays.

A bill prohibiting cities and towns from putting restrictions on services like Airbnb narrowly failed during the 2017 state legislative session.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net