The 2027 Kentucky Oaks is Friday, April 30, and the 153rd Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 1, at Churchill Downs. A three-bedroom near the track earns an estimated $4,900 to $9,100 over Derby week’s seven nights. Open and price your dates by November, because many Derby guests book six to twelve months out.
Last reviewed October 2026
The Kentucky Derby is the most valuable short-term rental event in the country outside a Super Bowl host city. For a property within twenty minutes of Churchill Downs, five to seven nights in early May can be 8 to 12% of annual income, at rates that would take three months to earn at normal occupancy.
And it is not one day. Derby week runs Tuesday through Sunday with events every day, and the Kentucky Oaks on the Friday draws over 100,000 people on its own. Here is what the week pays by property size, the four pricing decisions that decide your number, and what to have ready before guests arrive.
The Opportunity
The highest-value short-term rental week in America
Derby week packs 8 to 12% of annual income into a handful of nights, and the guests who pay the most commit six to twelve months in advance. That means the money is made in November, when you set the following May’s rates, rather than in the spring when everyone else starts paying attention.
Location inside the city matters enormously. Properties within about five minutes’ walk of Churchill Downs, in Old Louisville, Beechmont, and Germantown, command a further 20% to 40% premium over comparable properties further out. Everything below assumes the property is registered and permitted, which in Louisville is its own process, covered in the permit guide.
The Numbers
What Louisville hosts earn during Derby week
| Property size | Derby week nightly rate | Estimated seven-night revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1BR | $250 to $500 | $1,750 to $3,500 |
| 2BR | $450 to $850 | $3,150 to $5,950 |
| 3BR | $700 to $1,300 | $4,900 to $9,100 |
| 4BR | $950 to $1,800 | $6,650 to $12,600 |
| 5BR and up, or a whole estate | $1,500 to $5,000 and above | $10,500 to $35,000 and above |
Proximity is worth another 20 to 40%
Properties within a five minute walk of Churchill Downs earn a further 20% to 40% over comparable properties further out, which is why Old Louisville, Beechmont and Germantown price above their own baselines this one week of the year. If you are further out, sell the parking and the group capacity instead of trying to compete on walk time.
Pricing Strategy
Four decisions that set the week’s revenue
Open your calendar by November
Derby guests are planners and many book six to twelve months out. If your calendar is not open and priced by November for the following May, the early bookings at the best rates go to somebody else.
- Open as soon as the race date is confirmed
- Price immediately, never open at base rates
- The most expensive mistake here is simply being late
Set a four to five night minimum
A two-night minimum leaves money on the table. Most Derby guests want Thursday through Sunday at least, and a longer minimum captures the whole high-rate window instead of letting one night block it.
- Four to five nights across the peak
- Set the minimum before the rate
- Relax it late only if real gaps remain
Price Oaks Friday at Derby rates
The Kentucky Oaks draws more than 100,000 attendees, and plenty of serious racing fans prefer it to Derby Day. Price Friday at or near Saturday’s rate, because it earns it.
- Friday is a peak night, not a shoulder night
- Tuesday and Wednesday still run above baseline
- Check comparable listings rather than last year’s instinct
Hold your rates as May approaches
The urge to cut if you are not booked by April is the most expensive instinct in this market. Late Derby buyers pay premium rates, because inventory near the track is finite.
- Hold peak nights, discount the shoulders instead
- Watch your comparable set before moving
- A dropped Derby rate is very hard to recover
Operations
What to have ready before Derby week
Pricing wins the booking. Operations decide whether the week ends in five-star reviews that lift your occupancy all year, or a damage claim and a scramble.
Parking and presentation
- Off-street parking is worth real money during Derby week, so feature it prominently rather than mentioning it in passing
- List parking capacity clearly, with photos
- Consider a parking premium on top of the nightly rate
- Invest in professional photography before Derby listing season, it is the difference between $700 and $500 a night on the same house
- Stage to the occasion, hat displays and bourbon accents, and put proximity to Churchill Downs in the listing title
Screening, deposits and the welcome kit
- Derby week attracts guests who may treat a property harder than typical travelers
- Increase the security deposit for the week
- Be explicit about noise limits and maximum guest count, in writing before check-in
- Screen Derby guests against your usual criteria instead of relaxing them for the rate
- A small Derby welcome kit reliably earns five-star reviews: a local bourbon sample, a racing form and printed race card, a restaurant guide
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much can I charge for Derby week?
Estimated Derby week rates run $250 to $500 a night for a studio or one bedroom, $450 to $850 for a two bedroom, $700 to $1,300 for a three bedroom, $950 to $1,800 for a four bedroom, and $1,500 to $5,000 and above for five bedrooms or a whole estate. Over seven nights that is roughly $1,750 at the low end to $35,000 and above at the top. Properties within a five minute walk of Churchill Downs earn a further 20% to 40%.
When should I open my calendar for Derby week?
By November for the following May. Many Derby guests book six to twelve months in advance, so a calendar that opens in February has already missed the highest-paying bookings. Open the dates as soon as the race date is confirmed and price them immediately rather than opening at base rates and adjusting later.
How should I price Oaks Friday?
At or near Derby Day rates. The Kentucky Oaks draws more than 100,000 attendees, and many serious racing fans prefer it to the Derby itself. Treating Friday as a shoulder night is one of the most common pricing errors in Louisville, and Tuesday and Wednesday of Derby week also run well above your normal baseline.
Should I drop my rate if Derby week is not booked by April?
Usually not. Last-minute Derby buyers pay premium rates because inventory near the track is finite, and a rate cut in April is very hard to recover. If you need to move something, discount the shoulder nights around the week rather than the peak nights, and check your comparable set before touching the rate.
What extra operational steps does Derby week need?
Raise the security deposit, put noise limits and maximum occupancy in writing before check-in, and screen guests against your usual criteria rather than relaxing them for the higher rate. On the revenue side, feature off-street parking prominently with photos, consider charging for it, and get professional photography done before listing season, since Derby guests comparing options choose on presentation.
Planning the rest of the year? The Louisville event demand calendar maps every other spike worth pricing for, including Thunder Over Louisville and the Bourbon Festival. For neighborhood numbers, see NuLu and Old Louisville.
Sources and currency: Derby week rate ranges, occupancy, the share-of-annual-revenue figure and the proximity premium are Venturebnb estimates from our managed Louisville portfolio, reviewed August 2026, and are not guarantees. Kentucky Oaks attendance reflects recent published figures. Race dates and event programming change year to year, so confirm the current schedule before setting rates, and note that registration and permit requirements apply to every Louisville short-term rental. The 2027 dates come from kentuckyderby.com, checked October 2026: the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30 and the 153rd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1, both at Churchill Downs.
