Custom Areas

How to Query STR Market Data Using a Custom Polygon

At bnbapi.com, there are three main ways to query short-term rental (STR) market data by location:

  1. Administrative Area – using country, state, and similar divisions
  2. Geometric Area – by defining a circle with a center point and radius
  3. Custom Area – by drawing a geographic polygon to match real-world needs

In this article, we’ll explore the Custom Area method, which allows for the most flexibility and precision in location-based analysis.

Why Use a Custom Polygon?

Sometimes, neither administrative boundaries nor a circular area are sufficient for accurate market analysis. For example, in a beach destination, property prices often correlate with proximity to the shoreline, not administrative borders.

Imagine a 1 km long beach bordered by two or three official neighborhoods. Analyzing them separately would be inefficient and possibly misleading — especially if listings closer to the beach span across different districts. In this case, a custom polygon helps you focus only on the most relevant properties.

How to Create a Polygon

bnbapi.com provides an intuitive interface to define and manage custom geographic areas:

👉 Visit: bnbapi.com/custom-map-area

There, you can:

  • Draw custom shapes on a map with precision
  • Save each polygon with a name and description
  • Edit or update your saved areas at any time

Each saved polygon is assigned a unique identifier, called area_id.

How to Use a Custom Polygon in Your API Request

Once you’ve created a polygon, include its area_id in your API request using any endpoint that supports this parameter.

Example

{
  "area_id": "poly_78g3shq9"
}

This will limit your query results to only the listings located within the custom-defined polygon, regardless of administrative divisions or distances from a single point.

When to Use a Custom Area

Custom polygons are perfect when:

  • Your area of interest spans multiple districts or doesn’t match official boundaries
  • You want to isolate a micro-location like a beach front, park vicinity, or urban hub
  • You need complete control over the spatial scope of your analysis

Summary

With custom polygons, bnbapi.com lets you define the exact geographic scope of your analysis — no compromises. Whether it’s a beachfront, a festival zone, or a historic district, you can draw it, save it, and query it directly with area_id.

Use this method when precision is key, and your research demands more than generic boundaries or simple circles.