Free tool · Service pricing
Airbnb profit calculator
Airbnb profit is booked nights × nightly rate, plus cleaning fees, minus Airbnb's host fee, turnover cleaning and your fixed monthly costs. Enter your numbers to see revenue, costs, monthly profit and how many months it takes to earn back what you spend furnishing the place.
Monthly profit
$437
19.8 booked nights from about 6.6 stays.
- Booking revenue (incl. cleaning fees)
- $3,328
- Platform fees
- −$100
- Cleaning
- −$461
- Rent, utilities, supplies, insurance
- −$2,330
- Monthly profit
- $437
- Break-even occupancy
- 55%
- Months to earn back setup
- 20.6
Monthly model
- Booked nights = 30.42 × Occupancy %
- Stays (turnovers) = Booked nights ÷ Average stay length
- Revenue = Booked nights × Nightly rate + Stays × Cleaning fee charged
- Host fee = Revenue × Platform host fee %
- Costs = Host fee + Stays × Cleaning cost + Rent or mortgage + Utilities & internet + Supplies + Insurance
- Profit = Revenue − Costs; Payback months = Furnishing cost ÷ Profit
Which Airbnb host fee to enter
Airbnb's help center describes two fee structures for home hosts:
- Split fee — most hosts pay 3% and the guest pays a separate service fee on top of your price.
- Single fee — the whole service fee is deducted from your payout. Most hosts pay 15.5%, others typically 14–16%. It is mandatory for hosts using property management software and for traditional hospitality listings.
Airbnb says it is moving all home hosts to the single fee, so new hosts should model 15.5% unless their dashboard says otherwise. The fee is charged on the nightly price plus host fees such as cleaning, which is how this calculator applies it.
Worked example: a rental arbitrage apartment
A one-bedroom rented for $1,800 a month is listed at $150 a night with a $90 cleaning fee. At 65% occupancy and three-night average stays, it books 19.8 nights and 6.6 stays a month.
Revenue is $3,559. The 15.5% host fee takes $552, cleaners cost $70 a turnover ($461), and rent, utilities ($250), supplies ($80) and insurance ($60) add $2,190. Profit is about $356 a month, so $12,000 of furniture takes nearly three years to pay back.
On the old 3% split fee the same unit would clear about $801. That gap is why fee structure belongs in every short-term rental plan.
Before you sign a lease or buy
- Check local short-term rental rules first; many cities require permits, limit the number of nights or ban non-owner-occupied rentals.
- Get your landlord's or HOA's written permission for arbitrage.
- Use realistic occupancy: model a slow season month, not just summer.
- Ask your insurer about short-term rental coverage — a standard renter's or homeowner's policy may not cover paying guests.
- Occupancy and lodging taxes may apply; Airbnb collects them in some places but not all. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate Airbnb profit?
Multiply booked nights by your nightly rate, add cleaning fees collected, then subtract Airbnb's host fee, cleaning costs per turnover and your fixed monthly costs such as rent or mortgage, utilities, supplies and insurance.
What percentage does Airbnb take from hosts?
Under the split-fee structure most hosts pay 3%. Under the single-fee structure, which Airbnb is moving all home hosts to, most hosts pay 15.5% and others typically 14–16%.
What occupancy rate should I use?
Use data for your specific area and property type, and model a low season as well as a peak month. A plan that only works at high occupancy is fragile.
Is Airbnb arbitrage profitable?
It can be, but rent is a fixed cost while bookings are not, so margins are often thin. Run your own numbers with conservative occupancy and the 15.5% host fee before signing a lease.