By October 27, 2025, Airbnb will automatically migrate most PMS-connected listings worldwide to a 15.5% host-only fee model (16% in Brazil). The switch ends the long-running split-fee structure, where hosts paid around 3% and guests paid 14–16%, and puts the full cost squarely on the host side.
If you haven’t checked your settings yet, now’s the moment. As our RSU × RevLabs webinar showed, even small misconfigurations can cut into payouts overnight. The good news: keeping your margins intact is straightforward, if you know exactly what to check.
Here’s your five-point pricing audit to run before the October 27 deadline hits.
1. Check Your PMS Markup, It Should Be Around +18.34%
This was the single biggest point of confusion raised during the webinar.
Airbnb’s fee is 15.5%, but that’s taken from the gross price the guest sees, so to end up with the same net payout, you need to increase your PMS markup to about +18.34%.
As Thibault Masson explained during the session, “Airbnb isn’t raising fees; it’s just moving who pays them. If managers don’t adjust markups, the margin loss is instant.”
Formula check:
New markup = 1 ÷ (1 – 0.155) = 1.1834
In practice:
- Old price $100 → New price $118.34
- Airbnb keeps 15.5% ($18.34)
- Host still nets $100
✅ Audit step: open your PMS or channel manager and verify that the Airbnb channel markup is set to +18.34% or equivalent.
2. Recalculate Cleaning and Extra Fees
Airbnb’s new 15.5% host-only fee applies to all charges, including cleaning, pet, and extra-guest fees.
We assume your old cleaning/extra fees already included Airbnb’s 3% host fee — i.e., you had set them high enough to cover that small commission.
Now that Airbnb’s fee is rising to 15.5%, you’ll need to increase these fixed fees so that your net payout stays the same.
Formula
New Fee=Old Fee×0.970.845≈Old Fee×1.148\text{New Fee} = \text{Old Fee} \times \frac{0.97}{0.845} \approx \text{Old Fee} \times 1.148New Fee=Old Fee×0.8450.97≈Old Fee×1.148
- Example: Old cleaning fee $100 → New cleaning fee $114.79 → Host nets the same as before under 3% commission.
- If you want to net $100: $100 ÷ 0.845 ≈ $118.34.
✅ Action: Manually update cleaning and other fixed fees in your PMS — nightly markups usually don’t apply to these.
3. Re-align Communication With Owners
Monique DeLorenzo Pomeroy from PriceLabs put it simply in the webinar:
“If you don’t show owners the before-and-after with clear numbers, they’ll think you’re just inflating prices.”
This change can easily trigger misunderstandings if payouts appear lower. Be transparent: share a side-by-side comparison of old vs. new pricing and explain that the fee shift doesn’t increase Airbnb’s total take, it only changes who pays it.
✅ Audit step:
- Send an owner update summarizing the switch.
- Include examples showing identical guest prices but steady host payouts.
- Clarify that the new markup offsets Airbnb’s distribution cost, not an arbitrary rate hike.
4. Ensure Channel Consistency
During the RevLabs session, panelists emphasized the need to keep pricing logic aligned across OTAs. Vrbo and Booking.com operate near 15–20% commission levels, meaning parity can be maintained if Airbnb markups are updated correctly.
✅ Audit step:
- Compare Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and direct-booking prices for a few sample dates.
- Confirm all channels reflect the true cost of distribution after their respective fees.
- Double-check that long-stay discounts and promotions apply after (not before) markup.
This keeps you from accidentally undercutting yourself or creating confusing price gaps across platforms.
5. Test Your Forecast and Automation Rules
Several attendees asked during the webinar how the host-fee switch would affect their revenue forecasts. The short answer: only if markups weren’t updated. Still, it’s wise to validate your data.
✅ Audit step:
- Run a test booking or dummy reservation to confirm your PMS passes the correct rate to Airbnb.
- In PriceLabs Portfolio Analytics, verify that forecasted revenue and average daily rate reflect the post-markup pricing.
- Check any automation or rule-based adjustments (like minimum margin thresholds) to ensure they’re still accurate under the new fee.
As John An from TechTape, Ohana Stay noted, “This is the perfect time to tighten your pricing discipline. Don’t just patch numbers; review how your whole pricing logic behaves under real data.”
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- ❌ Forgetting to adjust cleaning or pet fees.
- ❌ Editing base rates instead of channel markups in your PMS.
- ❌ Failing to re-sync your PMS and Airbnb connection after changes.
- ❌ Assuming owners will understand the payout dip automatically.
If you’ve completed all five checks, you’re ready for October 27. Your guests will see the same all-in price for the most part, and your payouts will remain steady, exactly as intended.
The Bottom Line
The Airbnb host-only fee doesn’t have to shrink your profits, but missing this audit could. The 15.5% commission simply moves cost responsibility to hosts, and with the right markup and communication strategy, you’ll stay margin-neutral.
💬 Run your audit today, before the October 27 deadline, and start November knowing your pricing is airtight.
Uvika Wahi is the Editor at RSU by PriceLabs, where she leads news coverage and analysis for professional short-term rental managers. She writes on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, regulations, and industry trends, helping managers make informed business decisions. Uvika also presents at global industry events such as SCALE, VITUR, and Direct Booking Success Summit.
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