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STORY: The 2024 Paris Olympics is just under a year away.

Millions are expected to visit the the French capital for the sporting showpiece - and many of them will need somewhere to stay.

Rental giant Airbnb believes it can do very well out of the event.

On Tuesday (September 26) CEO Brian Chesky said the company expects to host up to half a million people during the Olympics.

"A lot of people need housing. They don't have enough hotel rooms here in Paris to accommodate everyone."

The Paris tourism office expects around 16 million people to visit the wider Paris region for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Chesky believes if more Parisians to put their homes up for rent it could stop prices going very high for those who want to book somewhere to stay.

"We've done surveys that suggest that as many as 20% of people in Paris are interested in hosting. If they put their homes in Airbnb and if there's enough housing, prices will stay within reason."

Airbnb is dealing with pushback from local authorities in France and across the world.

Many big French cities are facing housing shortages and renting flats to tourists on platforms such as Airbnb is often blamed for reducing the supply of housing.

Chesky said Airbnb would do its best to contain prices during the 2024 games.