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Less than three months after the U.S. announced it will ease travel to Cuba, home rental site Airbnb is listing properties in the island nation. The average price for a room or home in Havana is currently $43. The company says it's starting out with more than 1,000 listings.

A look at the offerings Thursday morning found everything from "beautiful colonial rooms for rent in the heart of Havana" for $27 a night to a "a holiday sanctuary" chalet on the outskirts of Havana that can accommodate 10 guests for $1,000. It includes a pool.

Airbnb says its short-term rental service will help Cubans capitalize on a tradition of sharing their homes with travelers.

 he thinks the service might hit some snags in Cuba for two reasons: Hosts will not want to share their profits with a third party, and they could also have a hard time staying up to date on reservations and requests, due to the country's slow Internet service and spotty Web access (

).
Since the new thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations, NPR has visited the island and reported on the country's efforts to modernize both 

 and its economy — and its inhabitants' attempts to navigate a shifting set of rules. You can follow our reporting 

The company says it's starting out with more than 1,000 listings.

Airbnb starts listing homes in Cuba; average rate is $43 a night

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