Airbnb and Short-Term Rental Revenue Calculator
Estimate your monthly and annual revenue from an Airbnb or short-term rental property based on occupancy rate, nightly rate, and costs.
Short-Term Rental Revenue Model
Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) can generate significantly more income than long-term leases, but costs and vacancies can also eat into profits quickly.
Key Metrics
Occupancy Rate: the percentage of days per month your property is booked. A 65% occupancy rate means roughly 19–20 nights booked per month. Top Airbnb markets average 50–70% occupancy.
Nightly Rate: your average price per night after seasonal adjustments.
Cleaning Fee: charged per stay (not per night). More stays = more cleaning fees collected, but also more cleaning costs.
Revenue Formula Nights booked per month = 30 × (occupancy rate / 100) Stays per month = nights booked / average stay length Gross nightly revenue = nights booked × nightly rate Cleaning revenue = stays per month × cleaning fee charged Gross monthly revenue = nightly revenue + cleaning revenue
Airbnb host service fee = gross monthly revenue × fee % Net revenue = gross monthly revenue − Airbnb fee Net profit = net revenue − fixed monthly costs
Airbnb Host Service Fee The standard Airbnb host service fee is 3% for most hosts. Hosts using non-refundable pricing may pay slightly less. Some properties in certain regions pay a flat 14–16% (host-only pricing model).
Understanding Profit vs Revenue Gross revenue is the headline number, what you earn before costs. Net profit is what actually matters, after Airbnb fees, mortgage, utilities, and insurance. Many hosts are surprised how thin margins can be at low occupancy.
Typical occupancy rates by market type
| Market | Annual occupancy range |
|---|---|
| Major tourist city (NYC, Paris, Barcelona) | 65–85% |
| Secondary tourist market | 50–70% |
| Suburban / rural | 30–55% |
| Seasonal market (beach, ski) | 90%+ in season, 20% off-season |
Check AirDNA, Mashvisor, or your local market’s Airbnb data to set a realistic occupancy expectation before buying a property. The single most common mistake new hosts make is plugging in a 75% occupancy rate that the local market cannot support.
What raises your nightly rate
- Superhost status (typically lifts the rate 10–15%)
- Professional photography (the listing image is the click-through driver)
- High review scores (4.8 stars and above)
- Distinctive features: hot tub, view, architectural character, unique theme
- Dynamic pricing tools like PriceLabs, Wheelhouse, or AirDNA’s Smart Rates
Most underperforming listings have generic photos and a flat year-round rate. Both are cheap to fix.