A full breakdown of what Airbnb charges hosts — and how fees affect your actual net income per booking.
Airbnb uses two different fee structures depending on how your listing is set up. Most hosts use the split-fee model, where both the host and the guest pay a fee. Some hosts — particularly those with strict cancellation policies or listings on other platforms — use the host-only fee model, where the host pays a larger fee but guests see no service charge.
| Fee Structure | Host Pays | Guest Pays | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split-fee (default) | ~3% of booking subtotal | ~14–16% of subtotal | Most listings |
| Host-only fee | 14–16% of booking subtotal | Nothing | Software-connected listings, strict policy hosts |
Under the split-fee model, Airbnb charges hosts roughly 3% of the booking subtotal (nightly rate × nights, plus any extra guest fees you charge). This fee is deducted automatically before your payout is sent.
The 3% fee covers Airbnb's cost of processing your payment, providing host protection through their AirCover insurance program, and maintaining the platform infrastructure. It's one of the lowest platform take-rates in the short-term rental industry — by comparison, VRBO charges hosts 8% and property management software platforms typically charge 2–4% on top of payment processing.
The host service fee applies to the booking subtotal only — it does not include the security deposit (if collected) or the resolution center payouts. Cleaning fees you set are included in the subtotal, so Airbnb does take 3% of your cleaning fee as well, which is a detail many hosts miss.
Cleaning fees are set by the host and paid by the guest at the time of booking. They show up as a separate line item on the guest's receipt and are included in the booking subtotal for the purpose of calculating Airbnb's service fees and taxes.
Setting the right cleaning fee is one of the most consequential pricing decisions an Airbnb host makes:
A reasonable cleaning fee for a one-bedroom apartment in most markets is $60–$120. For larger properties or vacation homes, $150–$300 is typical. These rates should reflect your actual cleaning cost, including labor and supplies, not just a round number.
Under the split-fee model, guests pay a separate service fee — typically 14–16% of the booking subtotal. This fee is charged to the guest and does not affect your host payout directly. However, it matters to you as a host for one important reason: it makes your listing more expensive than the nightly rate suggests.
A listing priced at $150/night with a $75 cleaning fee and a 3-night stay will look like this to a guest:
The gap between what guests pay and what hosts receive is one of the most common sources of confusion in Airbnb pricing. Guests are price-sensitive to the total, while hosts see only the subtotal-minus-fee.
Beyond Airbnb's platform fee, several other costs reduce what you actually take home from each booking:
The host-only fee model (where you pay 14–16% instead of ~3%) is required in some circumstances — notably, listings managed through third-party property management software connected to Airbnb via API, and listings with non-refundable cancellation policies. Some hosts opt into it voluntarily because it improves conversion: guests see a lower total price (no guest service fee), which can increase booking rates enough to offset the higher host fee.
Whether the host-only model is profitable for you depends entirely on how much your booking rate increases and what your margin looks like at a higher fee rate. For most individual hosts with typical occupancy, the split-fee model is the better default choice.
Use HostCalc to model exactly how Airbnb's fees affect your real net income at any nightly rate and occupancy level.
Calculate Your Net Income →You can't reduce Airbnb's host service fee below the platform minimum, but you can structure your listing to minimize the overall fee impact on your margins:
For more on Airbnb STR profitability, see our guide to what occupancy rate you actually need to profit or visit our frequently asked questions about how HostCalc calculates net income.