SHORT-TERM RENTAL MATH
How Much Do Airbnb Hosts Make? The 2026 Math After the 15.5% Fee
A listing that books 210 nights at $200 brings in about $48,000 a year, but a host keeps far less. Airbnb now takes a single 15.5% host fee instead of the old 3%, and cleaning, utilities, insurance and the mortgage come out next. Here is the full path from nightly rate to profit, plus a calculator for your own place.
WHAT CHANGED
Airbnb's single 15.5% host fee
For years most hosts paid a 3% service fee and guests paid a separate fee of around 14% at checkout. Airbnb has replaced that split with a single service fee paid by the host. In its July 2026 announcement Airbnb said it is "combining both fees into a single 15.5% service fee paid by hosts", that hosts using property-management software who were not yet on it switch on October 13, and that listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 16%.
Host 3%, guest ~14%
On $48,300 of bookings the host paid $1,449 and kept $46,851. The guest saw the extra fee added at checkout.
Host 15.5%, guest 0%
On the same bookings the host pays $7,487 and keeps $40,814 — $6,038 less, unless the nightly price goes up. Guests now see one all-in price.
STEP 1
Gross booking revenue: nights × rate + cleaning fees
Revenue comes from three numbers: the nightly rate (what AirDNA and others call ADR), how many nights are booked, and the cleaning fee charged per stay. AirDNA's 2026 outlook forecasts US short-term rental occupancy of 57.4% on average — about 210 booked nights a year — with nightly rates rising about 1.5%.
A $200-a-night home at average occupancy
Assume $200 a night, 57.4% occupancy, an average stay of three nights and a $90 cleaning fee per stay. That is 210 nights and 70 stays a year.
- Nightly revenue
- $42,000 210 nights × $200
- Cleaning fees
- $6,300 70 stays × $90
- Gross bookings
- $48,300 before any fee
- Airbnb fee 15.5%
- −$7,487 on nights + cleaning
- Payout to host
- $40,814 what reaches your bank
- Per booked night
- $194 payout ÷ 210
STEP 2
Operating costs: what comes out before profit
Short-term rentals cost more to run than long-term ones, because every stay means a turnover. These are the example's assumptions — replace them with your quotes and bills:
| Cost | Assumption | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning crew | $85 per turnover × 70 stays | $5,950 |
| Supplies and restocking | $25 per stay (toiletries, coffee, linens wear) | $1,750 |
| Utilities and internet | $350 a month, paid by you, not the guest | $4,200 |
| Short-term rental insurance | A policy that covers paying guests | $1,800 |
| Repairs and maintenance | 5% of gross bookings | $2,415 |
| Furnishing refresh | Replacing what guests wear out | $1,500 |
| Software and pricing tools | $30 a month | $360 |
| Total operating costs | $17,975 |
Not included: property tax and HOA dues if you own, local permit or registration fees, a co-host or property manager (often 15–25% of bookings), and income tax on the profit. Local occupancy and sales taxes are collected from guests and, in many places, remitted by Airbnb; they are not your income.
STEP 3
Profit — and why the mortgage decides everything
Payout of $40,814 minus $17,975 of operating costs leaves $22,838 before housing. If the home is paid off, that is the host's pre-tax profit. If it carries a mortgage, rent or arbitrage lease of $2,100 a month ($25,200 a year), the same listing loses about $2,360 a year.
$40,814
Gross bookings after the 15.5% host fee.
$22,838
After cleaning, utilities, insurance, repairs and supplies.
≈ −$2,360
After a mortgage or lease of $25,200 a year.
≈62%
Occupancy needed to cover the $2,100 housing cost at $200 a night.
That is the honest answer to "how much do Airbnb hosts make": the range runs from a loss to tens of thousands a year, and the three levers are occupancy, nightly rate and housing cost. Before buying or leasing a place to host, find its break-even occupancy and compare it with what similar listings nearby actually achieve. Our older guides on common host mistakes and Airbnb taxes cover the next steps.
YOUR NUMBERS
Airbnb profit calculator
TRY IT
What would your listing earn in a year?
Defaults are the worked example above. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
KEEP SCORE
Tracking Airbnb income and expenses in Excel or Google Sheets
Airbnb's Earnings dashboard lets you export a CSV of payouts. Put it next to an expenses table and four formulas tell you how each property is really doing:
| Metric | Formula |
|---|---|
| Occupancy for a month | =SUMIFS(Bookings[Nights],Bookings[Property],A2,Bookings[Month],B1)/DAY(EOMONTH(B1,0)) |
| Average nightly rate | =SUMIFS(Bookings[Accommodation],Bookings[Property],A2)/SUMIFS(Bookings[Nights],Bookings[Property],A2) |
| Host fees paid | =SUMIFS(Bookings[Service fee],Bookings[Property],A2) |
| Net profit per property | =SUMIFS(Bookings[Payout],Bookings[Property],A2)-SUMIFS(Expenses[Amount],Expenses[Property],A2) |
If you also rent long-term, the same structure works for leases; our rental property income and expense spreadsheet guide shows the categories Schedule E uses.
READY-MADE TEMPLATE
Track every booking and expense in one file
You can build the sheet above yourself. If you'd rather paste your payouts and costs and see each property's occupancy, profit and booking channels on a dashboard, there is a ready-made Airbnb spreadsheet for Excel and Google Sheets; check the product page for current features.
Airbnb Income and Expense Spreadsheet for Hosts & Property Managers in Excel & Google Sheets
The current listing describes copy-and-paste transaction tracking for 1 to 100 properties, monthly, annual, custom and 5-year forecast dashboards, booking-channel and top-property analysis, a booking calendar showing booked and available days, profit goals, ROI and support for any currency.
- Income and expenses per property
- Booked vs available days
- Profit, ROI and 5-year forecast
Product features and compatibility are listed on the product page and may change.
Browse rental and Airbnb templatesFAQ
Airbnb host income questions
How much do Airbnb hosts make a year?
It depends on occupancy, nightly rate and costs. A $200-a-night home booked 57.4% of the year grosses about $48,300, pays about $7,487 in Airbnb's 15.5% fee and around $18,000 in running costs, leaving roughly $22,800 before mortgage or rent and income tax.
What percentage does Airbnb take from hosts?
Under the single service fee Airbnb takes 15.5% of the booking subtotal (nightly rate plus cleaning and other fees) from the host; listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 16%. Under the older split fee, hosts paid about 3% and guests paid their own fee.
Why did my Airbnb payout go down?
If your account moved from the split fee to the single host fee, Airbnb now deducts 15.5% instead of about 3%. Keeping the same payout requires raising the listing price by roughly 14.8%, which keeps the guest's total close to what they paid before.
What is a good occupancy rate for Airbnb?
AirDNA forecasts a US average of 57.4% for 2026. What matters more is your break-even occupancy: the share of nights you must book to cover the fee, running costs and housing. Compare it with nearby listings before committing.
Is Airbnb income taxable?
Yes. Rental income is generally taxable, and short-term rentals with hotel-like services can be treated differently from regular rentals. Our Airbnb taxes guide covers the basics; a tax professional can confirm your situation.
Is Airbnb still worth it in 2026?
It can be when the home is owned outright or cheaply financed and the market supports high occupancy. With a typical mortgage and average occupancy, many listings only break even, so run your own numbers first.
Sources and further reading
Checked October 6, 2026. The worked example uses assumed rates and costs, not market averages, and excludes taxes. This article is general information, not financial or tax advice.
