Airbnb Short-Term Rental Revenue Calculator

How to estimate short-term rental income before you commit

Short-term rental income projections on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo look attractive on paper, but the gap between gross revenue and what actually hits your account is often larger than new hosts expect. This calculator works through that gap systematically, starting from your nightly rate and available days, then applying a realistic occupancy rate, deducting platform fees, and finally subtracting monthly operating costs like cleaning and consumables. The result is a net monthly revenue figure and a projected annual figure that you can use to evaluate the financial case for a short-term rental listing.

The most important input in the entire model is the occupancy rate. This is the percentage of your available nights that are actually booked and paid. A 100 percent occupancy rate is theoretical and almost never achieved outside peak tourist seasons in high-demand areas. A more realistic range for a well-priced, well-reviewed property in a good location is 60 to 75 percent in an established market. New listings typically see lower occupancy in the first few months while they build reviews and search ranking. Seasonal properties may achieve very high occupancy for three or four months and low occupancy for the rest of the year. When you enter your occupancy rate, use an annual average that accounts for the slow periods, not just your peak season expectation.

Days available per month is a separate input from occupancy rate because they measure different things. Days available is how many nights you have the listing open for booking. Some hosts block off personal use days or periods between deep cleans. Others list 30 days every month. Your effective booked nights per month is the product of these two numbers, and the calculator shows you that figure in the results so you can sense-check it.

Platform fees vary. Airbnb charges hosts a service fee that typically falls in the two to three percent range under the split fee structure, though this can vary based on your settings and market. Vrbo and other platforms have different structures. Enter the percentage that matches your actual platform arrangement. If you use a property manager who lists on multiple platforms and takes a commission, use their combined fee rate here instead.

What monthly operating costs should you include

The monthly operating costs field is designed to capture the expenses that happen because of short-term letting specifically, not because of owning the property. The two largest items for most hosts are cleaning costs and consumable supplies. Cleaning costs are significant in short-term rentals because turnover happens far more frequently than in long-term rentals. If you pay a cleaner for each guest departure, multiply the cleaning fee by your expected number of checkouts per month. Consumable supplies include things like toiletries, coffee, tea, dishwasher tablets, bin liners, paper towels, and laundry detergent. These costs are relatively small per stay but add up across many bookings.

Other costs that belong in this field include professional laundry if you outsource linen washing, minor maintenance and repairs that arise from frequent guest use, and a small allocation for replacing worn items like towels, bedding, crockery, and small appliances. What should not go in this field is the mortgage payment, rates, insurance, or major capital expenditure. This field is for operational running costs associated with active hosting. Mortgage and ownership costs are a separate layer that you would assess alongside this revenue figure to determine overall profitability.

Comparing short-term rental revenue to long-term rental income

One of the most common decisions property owners face is whether to let their property as a short-term rental or as a traditional long-term lease. The short-term option often yields higher gross revenue per night, but the net picture is more complicated. Short-term rentals carry higher operating costs, more management time, greater wear and tear, regulatory risk in some areas, and income that varies month to month. Long-term rentals offer predictable income, lower operational complexity, and typically less maintenance intervention.

To make a fair comparison, use this calculator to get your projected net monthly short-term revenue, then compare it to the net monthly income you would receive from a long-term tenant after management fees. If the short-term net is materially higher and you are comfortable with the additional management workload, short-term may be the right choice. If the difference is modest, the simplicity and income certainty of a long-term lease often has real value. Many investors who started as short-term hosts eventually migrate to long-term lets once they account for the full management burden. Running the numbers honestly before you start saves significant time and effort later.