Should You Rent Out Your Home During the World Cup?
Kansas City is set to host six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at Arrowhead Stadium this summer. The city’s FIFA Fan Festival is also planned to run at least 18 days in June and July, and the city’s ConnectKC26 transportation service is scheduled to operate from June 11 through July 13, 2026, connecting the airport, downtown, the Fan Festival, and regional hubs, with stadium service operating on match days.
There is likely to be meaningful demand from visitors for places to stay, although actual pricing and occupancy may vary. Stories of homeowners hoping to earn extra income by renting out their homes are starting to swirl.
Is renting your home out potentially worth it?
Is it legal?
Before you spend a lot of time preparing your home for a potential short-term rental, make sure you know the rules.
This matters more than many people realize, especially in the Kansas City metro, where the rules vary by municipality.
Kansas City, Missouri has made clear that it is not relaxing its short-term rental eligibility rules for the World Cup. The city is offering a reduced-price “Major Event” short-term rental (STR) registration for May 3 through July 31, 2026, but it also says all existing eligibility requirements still apply during the tournament. KCMO also distinguishes between Resident and Non-Resident STRs; non-resident STRs are prohibited in residentially zoned areas.
On the Kansas side, the rules are not uniform either. Here are a few examples and links to more details.
| Municipality | Basic takeaway | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | STRs are allowed only if you qualify and register. | KCMO requires a valid STR registration to operate legally, defines STRs as stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days, and says normal eligibility rules still apply during the 2026 major-event period. The city has a limited-term “Major Event Registration” option, but it is not a free-for-all. Kansas City Government |
| Lee’s Summit, MO | Allowed, but not everywhere and not casually. | Lee’s Summit requires a business license and imposes specific location and occupancy restrictions. The city says short-term rentals should be in the Old Town plan area or on parcels greater than one acre, only single-family or duplex dwellings may be used, and the owner or a local representative must occupy a dwelling on the same or adjacent parcel. City of Lee’s Summit |
| Liberty, MO | STRs are possible, but licensing and tax compliance matter. | Liberty says all STRs must obtain a valid business license and remit applicable taxes, including the city’s 5% transient guest tax, in order to operate legally. libertymissouri.gov |
| Leawood, KS | Short-term rentals are not allowed under 30 days. | Leawood’s Residential Rental Program states that no one may lease or offer a dwelling unit for a period of less than 30 days, and a rental application is required before leasing. Leawood also says you cannot rent only a portion of a dwelling unit. leawood.org |
| Lenexa, KS | Short-term rentals are treated as licensed rental property. | Lenexa says owners need a rental license before allowing tenants or guests to live in a home, and it expressly says this applies to renting a home or room to visitors on a short-term basis. lenexa.com |
| Overland Park, KS | STRs are possible, but licensing is required. | Overland Park says a rental license is required for all rental properties, including short-term rentals, and its 2026 guidance specifically tells homeowners planning to rent to summer visitors to get licensed before hosting guests. City of Overland Park, Kansas |
| Prairie Village, KS | STRs are no longer allowed. | Prairie Village says short-term rentals were banned effective November 1, 2025, and rentals must now have a minimum duration of 30 days. The city also notes that all rentals still require a rental license. pvkansas.com |
| Roeland Park, KS | There is a temporary World Cup-era path, but it still runs through city licensing. | Roeland Park has a “Summer of Soccer” short-term rental application valid from May 25, 2026 through July 31, 2026. Outside those dates, standard short-term rental licensing rules apply. The city’s temporary World Cup-era application also requires the property to be the owner’s principal residence. roelandpark.org |
Condo rules, HOA restrictions, neighborhood covenants, lease terms, and building policies can matter just as much. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners specifically warns homeowners to review local laws and association bylaws before participating in home-sharing.
The practical risks are not “getting in trouble,” so to speak. Rather, they are likely to include spending time preparing the home, accepting bookings, moving your family out, and then running into a stop-order, fines, tax issues, insurance problems, HOA enforcement, or forced cancellations.
A good local rule of thumb is to verify legality, in writing. Rules are subject to change and should be verified directly with the applicable municipality.
Is the income worth the hassle?
The uniqueness of the World Cup – enormous global appeal, it happens once every four years, and it is going on right in your back yard –has all the ingredients for a compelling opportunity.
Those giving this consideration should think about potential costs as well. Platform fees, cleaning, supplies, possible insurance costs, potential hotel or travel costs for your own family, and the cost of getting the home ready and putting it back together all may be part of the equation.
And then there’s your time. How much time will it take to prepare the home, market it, secure your valuable personal items, respond to guest requests, etc.?
Scan the current listings on your favorite short-term rental site to see if the numbers look interesting. And then assume a healthy chunk of that income will be consumed by fees or lost time. Rates could soften if too many speculative listings hit the market, so projected earnings should be treated as estimates rather than assumptions. Still thinking it’s worth it? If so, keep on reading.
Insurance, liability, and privacy
The NAIC advises hosts to talk with their insurer or agent about home-sharing and notes that additional coverage beyond a standard homeowners policy may be needed. Triple-I adds that homeowners planning to operate short-term rentals should notify their current carrier and may need additional commercial or specialty coverage because standard homeowners coverage can be limited—or in some cases voided—by commercial use.
It’s worth checking this even if you are considering only a one-time, major-event rental.
Privacy is also a practical consideration. A personal home is different from a dedicated rental, and everyday items may be accessible to guests—family photos, financial mail and documents, backup drives, prescription medications, jewelry, spare keys, school paperwork, and sentimental items.
Potential tax-free income
If you have already determined (a) renting your home is legal, (b) the potential income is worth the hassle, and (c) you are comfortable with the liability and privacy concerns, you’re probably already aware of the one key tax point many Kansas City homeowners will hear this summer, and it is worth understanding correctly.
The IRS says that if you use the dwelling as your home and rent it for fewer than 15 days during the year, the rent generally is not included in income and the activity is not treated as rental activity for those expenses. If you rent it for 15 days or more, you generally include the rental income and then have to divide expenses between rental and personal use.
Even if the rent is excluded from federal income tax under this rule, local registration, licensing, and guest-tax requirements may still apply.
Local taxes and registrations still apply. In Kansas City, Missouri, short-term rentals are subject to a 7.5% tax on sleeping-room charges, and the city also imposes a $3.00 per occupied room occupancy fee.
That can be attractive for a one-off event rental, especially with some of the numbers that are being mentioned locally.
Consider treating this as a secondary benefit, not the main reason to do it.
Potential tax-free income does not solve for legality, insurance, privacy, wear and tear, or the fact that your family still has to live somewhere else for that period. And local registration, licensing, and lodging-tax steps can still apply even when the federal income-tax treatment is relatively simple.
Favorable tax outcomes can improve a good decision, but it usually should not be the reason the decision exists.
*This is general information only and should not be treated as legal, tax, insurance, or municipal compliance advice; homeowners should confirm the rules and implications for their specific property before listing it. For questions about your specific situation, consider consulting a qualified tax professional.
Closing thought
The World Cup will be an exciting time for the Kansas City metro area, and some local homeowners probably will benefit from renting out their homes for a short stretch.
For the right family, in the right municipality, with the right insurance, expectations, and setup, this can be an attractive one-time move.
For everyone else, it may be better to enjoy the World Cup from the comforts of their own home.
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Sources:
https://www.gehafieldatarrowhead.com/events/detail/fifa-world-cup-26
https://kansascityfwc26.com/getting-around-kc/
https://www.kcmo.gov/programs-initiatives/str
https://cityofls.net/development-services/neighborhood-services/short-term-rentals
https://www.libertymissouri.gov/1737/Occupation-Business-Licenses
https://www.leawood.org/391/Residential-Rental-Program
https://www.lenexa.com/Business-Development/Businesses/Rental-Property-Licenses
https://www.pvkansas.com/business/business-licenses/rental-property
https://www.roelandpark.org/471/Rental-Licensing-Inspections
https://www.iii.org/article/what-if-i-rent-out-my-home-on-a-home-sharing-site-like-airbnb
