Airbnb / Short-Term Rental Calculator
Analyze a short-term rental deal using nightly rate, occupancy, cleaning costs, and platform fees. See gross revenue, NOI, annual cash flow, cash-on-cash return, and cap rate.
Inputs
Results
- Booked nights: 201 (67 stays)
- Gross revenue: $35,131
- Platform fees: $1,054
- Cleaning costs: $6,023
- Maintenance reserve: $1,757
- Taxes, insurance & utilities: $9,600
- Net operating income (NOI): $16,698
- Mortgage (annual): $22,921
- Cash flow (monthly): -$519
- Total cash invested (down + startup): $95,000
Tip: Occupancy and nightly rate swing results more than any other input. Model a “bad year” (occupancy 10–15 points lower) before committing to a deal.
When to Use This Calculator
Use this calculator when you're evaluating a property as a short-term rental on Airbnb, VRBO, or similar platforms. It helps you translate nightly-rate income into an annual picture — accounting for occupancy risk, cleaning costs, platform fees, and the utilities that hosts (unlike long-term landlords) must pay themselves.
How It Works
This calculator projects gross annual revenue from your nightly rate and occupancy assumption, then subtracts operating expenses (platform fees, cleaning costs per stay, maintenance reserve, taxes, insurance, and utilities) to find NOI. It then layers in your mortgage to show annual cash flow, cash-on-cash return, and cap rate. Occupancy and nightly rate are the two dominant levers — use conservative values and stress-test downside scenarios.
Key Terms
How to Use This Airbnb / Short-Term Rental Calculator (Mini Guide)
STR returns hinge on two levers — nightly rate and occupancy. Use conservative assumptions here, then validate against real market data before you buy.
What this calculator does
It converts nightly-rate income into an annual pro forma: gross revenue, operating expenses (cleaning, platform fees, taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance), NOI, and cash flow after the mortgage.
Outputs include cap rate and cash-on-cash return so you can compare an STR against a long-term rental of the same property.
The two big levers: occupancy and nightly rate
Small changes in occupancy or nightly rate swing results far more than any expense line. A 10-point occupancy drop can erase all cash flow.
Use 50–55% occupancy as a conservative national baseline unless you have market-specific data.
For nightly rate, check comparable active listings in the exact neighborhood — not city-wide averages.
How to enter inputs
Cleaning cost per stay: enter what you actually pay the cleaner, not what you charge guests.
Platform fee: Airbnb's split-fee host charge is ~3%; host-only fee models run 14–16%.
Utilities: unlike long-term rentals, the host pays all utilities including internet — budget accordingly.
Maintenance reserve: STRs see heavier wear; 5% of revenue is a reasonable floor.
Risks this simple model doesn't capture
Seasonality — many markets earn most of their revenue in a few peak months.
Regulation — cities can ban or restrict STRs; verify permits and zoning before buying.
Furnishing and startup costs ($15K–$40K typical) — add these to cash invested for a true cash-on-cash number.
Lodging/occupancy taxes, which vary by jurisdiction.
Next steps after you run it
Stress-test with occupancy 10–15 points lower — does the deal still cover the mortgage?
Compare against the long-term rental calculator for the same property — the STR premium should be worth the extra work and risk.
Verify local STR rules and get real comp data before making an offer.