Airbnb Calculator
Will a short-term rental pay for itself? Enter the nightly price, occupancy, stay length, cleaning fee, platform fee, costs and mortgage to see monthly cash flow, cap rate and the occupancy you need to break even.
How to use the Airbnb calculator
Enter what you would pay for the property and how you will finance it, then your expected bookings: average nightly price, occupancy (the share of the year's nights that are booked), average stay length and the cleaning fee you charge. Pick the platform host fee and fill in your costs. The calculator shows monthly cash flow after the mortgage, net operating income, cap rate, cash-on-cash return and the occupancy you need to break even. The mortgage rate starts at Freddie Mac's weekly 30-year average (7.32% as of October 22, 2026) plus 0.75 point as an example; use the rate you are quoted.
Airbnb host fees
Airbnb has two fee structures for stays, and says it is moving all home hosts to the single fee:
| Structure | Host pays | Guest pays |
|---|---|---|
| Single fee | Most hosts 15.5%; others typically 14% to 16% (16% in Brazil and Mexico) | No separate guest service fee |
| Split fee (being phased out) | Most hosts 3% (4% in Brazil and Mexico) | 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal |
The host fee is a percentage of the nightly price plus any fees you charge, such as cleaning, and excludes taxes. The single fee is mandatory for hosts who use property management software. With the split fee your payout looks bigger, but guests see a higher total price, so you may need a lower nightly rate to get the same bookings.
A worked example
Hypothetical: a $350,000 home bought with 20% down, $9,000 of closing costs and $20,000 to furnish it, on a 8.125% 30-year loan. It books at $180 a night, 55% of the year, in 3-night stays, with a $90 cleaning fee and the 15.5% host fee. Costs: $80 cleaner and $15 of supplies per stay, $350 a month of utilities and internet, $2,400 of insurance and $3,500 of property tax a year, $50 a month of other costs, 5% of payout set aside for repairs, and you manage it yourself.
| Per year | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nights booked / stays | 201 / 67 |
| Nightly revenue + cleaning fees | $42,158 |
| Airbnb host fee | -$6,534 |
| Operating costs | -$18,838 |
| Mortgage (principal and interest) | -$24,948 |
| Cash flow | -$8,163 (-$680 a month) |
Net operating income is $16,785 a year, a 4.8% cap rate. Break-even occupancy is 71%. At 70% occupancy, cash flow would be -$56 a month. Handing the home to a co-host for 20% of payout would change the 55% case to -$1,274 a month. Small changes in occupancy move the result a lot, because most costs are fixed.
Taxes on short-term rental income
- Rent it fewer than 15 days a year: IRS Publication 527 says that if you rent out a property you also use as your home for less than 15 days during the year, you don't include the rent in your income, and the expenses don't count as rental expenses.
- Personal use: if you use the place yourself for more than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days it is rented at a fair price, it counts as your home: expenses are split by days of use, and if renting shows a net loss, some rental expenses are limited and carried forward to the next year.
- Average stay of 7 days or less: Publication 925 says the activity is not a "rental activity" under the passive activity rules. Whether a loss can offset your other income then depends on whether you materially participate, and the special $25,000 allowance for rental real estate does not apply.
- Hotel-style services: Publication 527 says substantial services for the guest's convenience, such as regular cleaning, changing linen or maid service, move the income to Schedule C, where self-employment tax may apply.
- Depreciation: the building (not the land) and the furniture are depreciated. See our rental property depreciation guide and its calculator.
Occupancy or lodging taxes are a separate, local tax charged to guests. Airbnb collects and remits them in places where it has an agreement with the government or is required to; for anything it does not collect, Airbnb says the host is responsible.
Check the local rules first
Many cities and counties require a short-term rental permit or registration, limit the number of nights, allow short stays only in your own home, or ban them in some zones. Homeowners associations, co-op boards and leases can also prohibit them. Airbnb's own guidance tells hosts to look up permitting, zoning, safety and health rules before listing. Read your city or county code and your HOA documents before you buy a property that only works as a short-term rental.
Compare with a long-term rental
A short-term rental earns more per night but adds a platform fee, turnover cleaning, supplies, furnishing and the utilities a tenant would normally pay, plus far more of your time. Run the same home through the rental property calculator with a realistic monthly rent to see which comes out ahead, and read the pros and cons of owning rental properties. Renting part of the home you live in is another route, covered in our guide to house hacking.
This calculator is for general information, not tax, legal or investment advice. Fee figures are from Airbnb's help center and tax rules from IRS Publications 527 and 925 (2025 editions), all read on October 27, 2026. The worked example is hypothetical.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Airbnb take from hosts?
It depends on the fee structure. Under the single fee, which Airbnb is moving all home hosts to, the whole fee comes out of the host's payout: Airbnb says most hosts pay 15.5% and the rest typically 14% to 16% (16% in Brazil and Mexico). Under the older split fee, most hosts pay 3% and the guest pays a separate service fee of 14.1% to 16.5%. The fee is a percentage of the nightly price plus fees you charge, such as cleaning.
What occupancy rate do I need for an Airbnb to break even?
It depends on your price, costs and mortgage, which is why the calculator works it out from your inputs. Break-even occupancy is the share of nights you must book for cash flow to reach zero. If it is close to or above what similar listings near you actually book, the property has little room for a slow season.
Do I have to collect occupancy tax on an Airbnb?
Often, yes. In places where Airbnb has an agreement with the government or is required by law, it collects and remits occupancy taxes for you. Elsewhere, and for any tax Airbnb does not collect, Airbnb says hosts are responsible for their own tax obligations. Check your state and city rules.
Is Airbnb income taxed differently from a regular rental?
It can be. IRS Publication 925 says an activity with an average customer stay of 7 days or less is not a "rental activity" for the passive activity rules. Publication 527 says that if you provide substantial services such as regular cleaning, changing linen or maid service, you report on Schedule C and may owe self-employment tax. A tax professional can tell you which applies.
Is Airbnb more profitable than renting long term?
Gross revenue is usually higher, but so are the costs: the platform fee, cleaning, supplies, furnishing, utilities you now pay, and your time. Compare the result here with the rental property calculator using a realistic long-term rent for the same home.
