Philly landlords bank on Pope's visit to seal marked-up rentals

New York

POPE Francis is visiting Philadelphia at the end of September, giving worshippers the potentially transcendent experience of watching the leader of the Catholic Church celebrate mass. And giving local residents a more worldly opportunity: the chance to make bank by renting out their homes.

On Craigslist, a keyword search for "Pope" turned up 1,800 short-term rental listings for out-of-towners coming to Philadelphia during the papal trip. Some are insultingly expensive, such as an "elegant" four-bedroom townhouse listed for US$150,000, or an 875-square-foot apartment listed for US$20,000. (Those appear to be weekly prices; neither landlord responded to e-mail queries.)