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Best cities for Airbnb business in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Best Airbnb cities in NL Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador is the tenth province of Canada by size and the eighth province by population. It is located in the eastern part of the country and is one of the few provinces with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. In 2017, it was the tenth province by the number of international trips, but its tourism industry has grown since.

Newfoundland and Labrador accepted more than 181,000 guests in 2021. The industry was damaged because of the pandemic, but it is now starting to grow again. The short-term rental market in Newfoundland and Labrador is exceptionally small, which makes it a great investment opportunity, as there is almost no competition in the market.

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Best Cities in Newfoundland and Labrador for an Airbnb Investment

Best Airbnb cities in Newfoundland and Labrador

Choosing the location is vital for launching a successful Airbnb, especially for such an untapped market as Newfoundland and Labrador. The cities there don’t have more than 100 Airbnbs operating in them, so it is crucially essential to research the locations properly before making the final decision to launch an enterprise there.

CityRevenue, $
Bay Roberts$1,719
Portugal Cove–St. Philip's$1,592
Bonavista$1,591
Conception Bay South$1,431
Gander$1,312
Clarenville$1,271
Corner Brook$1,258
Mount Pearl$1,216
Stephenville$1,181
Paradise$1,158

Bay Roberts

The first destination on the list is a tiny town located in Newfoundland. It was built in the southeastern part of the island, making it one of the eastmost destinations in the entire country. The geological properties of this area are rather unique, as it has a long strip of land venturing into the ocean. It has all the necessary infrastructure, so some Airbnbs successfully operate there.

The vacation rental market in Bay Roberts is tiny, as only nine properties are currently being actively rented out. All of them are entire home listings that, on average, have 2.9 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 7 guests. These parameters are boosted by one single listing that has four bedrooms and can host a whopping number of fourteen guests. This example perfectly demonstrates the issue with the performance indicators in such small markets: the data sample is too small to draw any reliable conclusions.

The Average Daily Rate is $148 in Bay Roberts, while the Occupancy Rates average 43% throughout the year. Expectedly, the demand is high in summer and low in all the other seasons, much like in the rest of the province. The average Revenue generated by a property in this town is $1,719 monthly.

Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s

Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s is a small town located to the east of Bay Roberts. It is located right next to St. John’s, the eastmost city in Canada. The vacation rental market is small, but it has the exclusive benefit of being located next to a larger city: there are more than 500 Airbnbs in St. John’s, and its market is highly competitive.

It might be already too late to enter the market of St. John’s, but as the city continues to develop and grow in popularity, Portugal Cove–St. Philip will keep benefiting from it. Right now, there are only 15 Airbnbs, all of which are entire home listings. On average, they can accept up to 4.8 guests in 2.2 bedrooms. Unlike in St. John’s, the competition here is mild, and the properties are evenly spread throughout the town.

The Average Daily Rate in Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s is $136, $20 higher than in St. John’s. The Occupancy Rates are 71% here, which already demonstrates the potential of this town. The Revenue each property generates on average every month is $1,592.

Bonavista

Bonavista is another city on the eastern shore of Newfoundland. Its vacation rental market is one of the largest markets on this list, but it is still tiny compared to major population centers across Canada. There are currently around 60 Airbnbs operating in Bonavista, 81% of which are entire home listings. On average, the rentals here have 2 bedrooms and can receive a maximum of 4.7 guests at a time.

The main advantage Bonavista has over most other cities mentioned today is the stable conditions of its rental market: as there are more Airbnbs here, the performance metrics become more reliable. This enables investors to make more accurate projections regarding the performance of their future businesses.

The ADR in Bonavista is $131, while the Occupancy Rates average 55% throughout the year. The average monthly Revenue is $1,591, although it is subject to a powerful seasonal effect. Last year, the properties made an average of $3,552 worth of Revenues in July and only $315 in January. This factor should be considered before launching a vacation rental here.

Conception Bay South

Conception Bay South is a small town located very close to St. John’s. The market properties here are very similar to the ones of Portugal Cove–St. As this town, Philip’s will also benefit from its neighboring city’s continuous growth. The town occupies a large area and Airbnbs that operate there are not located close to each other.

The competition is highly mild in Conception Bay South, as only 22 properties operate there. Only two are private rooms, while the others are entire home listings. On average, the Airbnbs in this town can accommodate up to 5.7 guests at a time in 2.6 bedrooms.

The Average Daily Rate here is $110, while the Occupancy Rates stay at 67%. Almost all rentals in the area are booked out in summer: the business here is also very seasonal. The average Revenue generated by an Airbnb in Conception Bay South is $1,431 per month, which is higher than the average in the province.

Gander

Next on the list is Gander, a few towns mentioned today that don’t have direct access to the ocean. Instead, it offers its visitors the beauties of Gander Lake, located in the eastern part of Newfoundland. It is hard to say the demand here is tremendous, but the existing properties operate successfully here.

At the time of writing, Gander is home to 19 active vacation rentals, 17 of which are entire home listings. On average, they have 1.9 bedrooms and room for up to 4.7 guests. Almost 35% of Airbnbs in Gander have strict cancellation policies, so it is possible to gain a competitive advantage by offering a flexible approach.

The ADR in Gander is relatively low, as it only averages $99 throughout the year. Combined with the Occupancy Rates of 67%, this results in an average property generating $1,312 worth of Revenues every month. Surprisingly, the seasonal effect is not as strong here, as the rates in winter only drop by $20 compared to the prices in summer.

Clarenville

Clarenville is yet another small town in the eastern part of Newfoundland featured on this list. It has a small vacation rental market, but the real estate prices are correspondingly low there. Its geographical position is rather unique, as the town is right in front of Random Island, which allows it to have a small and cozy bay the visitors of Clarenville enjoy so much.

Right now, there are only 13 Airbnb listings in the area, ten of which are entire homes. On average, they have 1.9 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 4.5 visitors. More than half of rentals in the area offer a flexible cancellation policy, but otherwise, the competition is highly mild here.

The Average Daily Rate of rentals in Clarenville is $119, while the occupancy rates stay at 61%. The average Revenue an Airbnb in this town generates monthly is $1,271. Of course, the data should be taken with a grain of salt, as the sample is too small to make any decisive projections.

Corner Brook

Airbnb Corner Brook

Corner Brook is one of the few towns on this list in the western part of Newfoundland. The town is located right next to the Bay of Islands, a popular destination among visitors of the province. Corner Brook has the largest vacation rental market among the cities covered today, but it is still relatively small.

In total, around 70 Airbnbs are operating in Corner Brook, 30% of which are private rooms. On average, they can host up to 4.2 guests at a time in 2 bedrooms. More than 55% of properties here have a flexible cancellation policy, while only 21% of hosts have selected the strict option.

The Average Daily Rate in Corner Brook is $91, as the competition here is more intense than in other regions of the province. The Occupancy Rates compensate for it, as they stay at 69% throughout the year. The average monthly Revenue of an Airbnb in Corner Brook is $1,258. The sample size here is more significant, so the data is more reliable than in other cities.

Mount Pearl

Mount Pearl is yet another town located right next to St. John’s. Much like the two other cities next to it, it has a small rental market with huge potential. It is not located on the shore, but it is close enough to attract visitors in summer.

Right now, there are 22 active rentals in Mount Pearl, and 20 of them are entire home listings. The properties here are relatively small, as an average Airbnb here only has 1.8 bedrooms and can accept no more than 3.6 guests at a time. On top of that, 67% of Airbnb have a flexible cancellation policy here.

The ADR in Mount Pearl is $97, and the Occupancy Rates are 64%. The Revenue an average vacation rental generates here every month is $1,216. The competition is mild, and the real estate prices are still relatively low, making it a decent investment opportunity for lucrative entrepreneurs.

Stephenville

Airbnb Stephenville

Stephenville is a town in the western part of Newfoundland. Its interesting geographical position makes it attractive for visitors who wish to explore the shore. The demand is still low, as the location is relatively hard to reach. The vacation rental market has been growing by 16% every quarter, and the trend does not stop anytime soon.

Interestingly, only 62% of Airbnbs in Stephenville are entire home listings. Even more surprising is that the average size of a rental in the town is not reduced because of this. On average, the properties in the town can accept up to 4.6 guests at a time in 2.6 bedrooms.

The Average Daily Rate in this town is $98, while the Occupancy Rates average 50% throughout the year. The average Revenue is $1,181 per month here, and the demand is seasonal. The rentals are primarily concentrated in the western part of the city, but even there, the competition is not as intense.

Paradise

The last city on this list is also located near St. John’s. It is between St. Philip‘s, Conception Bay South, and Mount Pearl – three towns already covered on this list. Expectedly, the market conditions here are almost the same as in those three cities, making it a decent investment opportunity in 2023.

One of the main advantages Paradise offers to investors is its large area. Some rentals operate on the shore, while others are much closer to St. John’s. For an aspiring entrepreneurs, it means there won’t be large clusters of rentals near them, making it easier to attract customers.

Right now, there are only 16 active rentals in the area, all of which are entire home listings. On average, they have 2.1 bedrooms and can accept up to 4.5 visitors. The Average Daily Rate in Paradise is $83, which is lower than in most other cities. This results in higher Occupancy Rates that average 71% throughout the year here. The Revenue an average property generates every month is $1,158.

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