Airbnb’s 15.5% host fee: how to reprice and keep your payout
Airbnb’s fee change and Vrbo’s fee change are now landing a month apart. On Airbnb, most hosts now pay a single 15.5% fee instead of about 3%. On Vrbo, a flat 12% commission starts on October 29, 2026. If you didn’t reprice, your payout dropped. Here’s the math, a table you can copy, and a free calculator.
By Halivs · Updated October 23, 2026 · Not tax advice
What changed on Airbnb
Under the old “split fee”, most hosts paid about 3% and guests paid a service fee of around 14% on top. Under the single host-only fee, most hosts pay 15.5% (16% in Brazil and Mexico) and guests pay no separate Airbnb service fee. Airbnb charges it on “your nightly price and any fees you add, like a cleaning, pet, or extra guest fee.”
- Hosts on property-management software switched in late October 2025.
- Everyone else: Airbnb announced the switch on July 7, 2026. The deadline was September 15, 2026 for most hosts and October 13, 2026 in the EEA and Switzerland (Airbnb).
- Bookings made before your switch keep the old fees. Airbnb’s price adjustment tool can raise every price and fee on the next two years of your calendar by one ratio, but only after you confirm it.
Airbnb’s own example: a $100 night used to pay the host $97 while the guest saw $115. At $115 under the new fee, the host still gets about $97 and the guest still sees $115. A host who left the price at $100 now gets $84.50.
The one formula you need
Work out the payout you want, then divide by what you keep after the fee.
New price = payout you want / (1 - new fee) Airbnb, from the old 3% host fee: new price = old price x 0.97 / 0.845 (about x1.148) Vrbo, from 5% (PMS) to 12%: new price = old price x 0.95 / 0.88 (about x1.080) Vrbo, from 8% to 12%: new price = old price x 0.92 / 0.88 (about x1.045)
Do this for every number you set: nightly rate, weekend rate, cleaning fee, pet fee, extra-guest fee. Discounts are percentages, so they carry through. If you already paid a host-only fee of around 14–16% through your software, little or nothing changes for you.
Copy this table
| Old price | Airbnb payout if unchanged | Old Airbnb payout (3%) | Airbnb price to keep it | Vrbo price (was 5%) | Vrbo price (was 8%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75 | $63.38 | $72.75 | $86 | $81 | $78 |
| $100 | $84.50 | $97.00 | $115 | $108 | $105 |
| $125 | $105.62 | $121.25 | $143 | $135 | $131 |
| $150 | $126.75 | $145.50 | $172 | $162 | $157 |
| $175 | $147.88 | $169.75 | $201 | $189 | $183 |
| $200 | $169.00 | $194.00 | $230 | $216 | $209 |
| $250 | $211.25 | $242.50 | $287 | $270 | $261 |
| $300 | $253.50 | $291.00 | $344 | $324 | $314 |
Rounded to the nearest dollar. The same multipliers work for the cleaning fee: a $150 cleaning fee becomes about $172 on Airbnb.
Try it with your numbers
Use 12 for Vrbo’s new commission and 5 or 8 for its old one. Works for nightly rates and cleaning fees.
Will guests pay more?
Mostly not, on Airbnb. The guest used to pay your price plus a service fee. Now they pay your price, and you pay the fee. If you raise your price by about 15%, the guest total ends up close to what it was. AirROI found that more than one in four US homes raised their cleaning fee by almost exactly that amount, and about one in four didn’t change it at all (AirROI, Oct 2026). The second group is quietly paying the fee themselves.
Search is a different question. Airbnb shows guests the total price, so a listing that raised prices by 15% looks the same in search as before. A listing that didn’t now looks cheaper but earns less on every stay. If you want to stay cheaper on purpose, decide that, and don’t just forget to reprice.
Vrbo’s 12% from October 29
Vrbo is moving most hosts to a flat 12% commission on new bookings from October 29, 2026. It covers the rental amount and fees you add, like cleaning and pets. It doesn’t cover taxes, refundable deposits or Vrbo’s own traveler service fee, which stays (Vrbo says it will be reduced). PMS-connected hosts paid 5% before, and other pay-per-booking hosts 8% (Skift). Annual subscription listings move to 12% when the subscription ends (Hostaway).
Two clauses in Vrbo’s new host terms are worth reading before you reprice (The Host Report): a rate-parity clause that says your Vrbo offer must be at least as favorable as other channels, including your own website, and a clause that lets Vrbo charge commission if a guest who contacted you on Vrbo books with you directly within 30 days.
Tracking it for taxes
Two things change at tax time. Your fees are a lot bigger, and they’re usually a deductible rental expense. On Schedule E, platform fees often go on the commissions line. And any 1099-K shows gross payments before fees, so your payouts will look smaller than the form. Keep the gross, the fee and the payout for every booking. That’s what our Host Tax-Ready Tracker does.
Questions hosts ask
What is Airbnb’s 15.5% host fee?
It is Airbnb’s single host-only service fee. Instead of the host paying about 3% and the guest paying a separate service fee, most hosts now pay 15.5% (16% in Brazil and Mexico) and guests pay no Airbnb service fee on top. It applies to the nightly price and any fees you add, such as cleaning or pet fees.
When did the 15.5% fee start?
Hosts connected through property-management software moved first, in late October 2025. Most remaining hosts moved after Airbnb announced the switch on July 7, 2026, with a September 15, 2026 deadline for hosts outside the EEA and Switzerland and October 13, 2026 for hosts there. Bookings made before your switch keep the old fee.
How much do I need to raise my prices?
If you paid the old 3% host fee and want the same payout, multiply each price by about 1.148 (0.97 ÷ 0.845), which is a 14.8% increase. A $100 night becomes about $115. Guests see roughly the same total they saw before, because they no longer pay a separate service fee.
Does the 15.5% fee apply to the cleaning fee?
Yes. Airbnb charges it on the nightly rate plus any fees you add, the cleaning fee included. A $150 cleaning fee now nets about $127, so to keep what $150 netted under the 3% fee (about $145.50) you would charge about $172.
What is Vrbo changing on October 29, 2026?
Vrbo moves most hosts to a flat 12% commission on new bookings from October 29, 2026, up from 5% for PMS-connected hosts and 8% for others. It applies to the rental amount and host fees like cleaning, not to taxes or Vrbo’s traveler service fee. Subscription listings switch when the subscription ends.
Can I deduct the Airbnb host fee on my taxes?
Platform fees are generally a deductible rental expense, often reported as commissions on Schedule E. Your 1099-K, if you get one, shows gross amounts before fees, so keep records of both. This is not tax advice. Check with a tax professional.