Online private rental portal Airbnb has struck a deal with Rio 2016 organisers which will see
residents of the city provide up to 20,000 additional accommodation options for foreign Olympic guests.

Airbnb will help provide “hotel” nights for the expected 380,000 foreign fans arriving for the Games next year, significantly alleviating the city’s accommodation shortfall.

Rio 2016 organisers have admitted that while a construction programme of new hotels in the city has increased capacity enough to host the 40,000-strong “Olympic family” – representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee and International Sports Federations – it had concerns that sports fans would struggle to find places to stay.

Airbnb, a Silicon Valley, US-based company founded in 2008, has now been signed on as the official alternative accommodation services supplier for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

One of the Rio residents to have already signed up to rent space during the Games is 46-year-old Daniel Almeida, who will offer eight rooms in his home in the bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa.

“We may not have the very best rooms or locations in the city, be what makes us different is the human warmth we offer,” he said.

“Unlike most hotels we can offer visitors the feeling of being at home, and the majority of guests we host are searching for exactly this.”

Rio is the city with the fourth largest number of properties on Airbnb – exceeded only by Paris, New York and London.

Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman said: “Airbnb has proven to be a wonderful choice in allowing us to increase supply. We are aware of Airbnb’s capacity in Rio and understand the impact that partnering with the leader in alternative accommodations will do for visitors coming to experience Rio and the Games.”

Airbnb will have a presence on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ticketing platform via a specific landing page where customers will be able to book their listings in Rio.