On August 25, 2025, Airbnb announced a major change to its commission model. The split-fee system — where hosts paid a small 3% and guests paid 14–16% — is being phased out for PMS-connected hosts. At the same time, Airbnb is standardizing its host-only (single) fee at 15.5% worldwide (16% in Brazil).

For property managers, the impact depends on where you operate:

In the U.S., many PMS-connected managers are losing the split-fee option entirely and moving to 15.5% host-only.
In Europe and most other non-U.S. markets, PMS-connected managers have already been on ~15% host-only since 2020/21. Now their fee ticks up slightly to 15.5% for the same service.

Either way, Airbnb’s distribution cost is going up. But here’s the key: margins do not have to fall if you adjust your pricing correctly

📅 Timeline

Aug 25, 2025 → New PMS-connected hosts must use the single-fee model.
Oct 27, 2025 → Most PMS-connected hosts worldwide move automatically to 15.5% (16% Brazil).
Dec 1, 2025 → Most non-PMS hosts already on single-fee also standardize to 15.5% (16% Brazil).
Exemptions → Hotel listings under Airbnb Travel LLC contracts.
Notes → Fees may be lower for 28+ night stays; “Super Strict” cancellation policies can add +2%..

🧮 How to Recalculate Your Rates

If you want to protect your margin, you must adjust rates to cover Airbnb’s higher distribution cost.

Rental Scale-Up recommends Pricelabs for Short Term Rental Dynamic Pricing

Formula: New Price = Old Price × (0.97 / 0.845)
0.97 = host payout under old 3% split-fee.

0.845 = host payout under new 15.5% host-only fee.

Or simply: New Price = Old Price × 1.1479
👉 To keep your payout the same, you need to increase all host-charged amounts — nightly rate, cleaning fee, extra guest fees, and any additional charges such as linen or management fees — by ~14.8%.
If your PMS uses fixed markups, you’ll need to increase them from ~3% under the split-fee system to ~18.3%. This ensures Airbnb’s 15.5% cut comes off the gross price while leaving your payout intact.

💡 Alternatively, if you want the guest’s total price to remain the same as before (rather than keeping your payout identical), the adjustment would be ~14.1%.

Example:

Old nightly rate = $100
New nightly rate = $114.79
Airbnb takes 15.5% = $17.79
Host payout = $97 (same as before).

This ensures margin stays the same, even though Airbnb’s distribution cost has increased.

If you recalculate to keep the guest’s total price the same, the new nightly rate would be ~$114.10 (≈14.1% increase). In this case, your payout would be slightly lower than before.

🏠 Implications for Hosts and Managers

Markup vs. Fee — Don’t Mix Them Up

Airbnb’s host fee = 15.5% (taken from the gross price).
To offset that, your PMS markup must be ~18.3% (on the PriceLabs base).
Why higher? Because the fee is charged on the final gross amount, not on the base.

Want more examples of how the math behind Airbnb’s host-only fee update works? For a step-by-step breakdown with specific scenarios and formulas—like how to adjust your PMS markup to keep your payout the same—check out this detailed PriceLabs article: Airbnb Fee Structure Changes: What PriceLabs Users Need to Know.

U.S. Property Managers (PMS-connected)

Biggest shift. Many were still on split-fee (3% host + guest fee).
From Oct 27, they move to 15.5% host-only.
Distribution cost rises significantly, but margins can be preserved if managers apply the formula.
Action: Update your PMS markup for Airbnb to ~18.3% (instead of the ~3% used under split-fee). This reflects the new 15.5% host-only fee and ensures Airbnb prices are grossed up correctly without changing your base rates in PriceLabs.

European & Non-U.S. Property Managers

Already on ~15% host-only since 2020/21.
Now nudged to 15.5% (16% Brazil).
Margins won’t shrink if rates/fees are adjusted accordingly.

Non-PMS Hosts (Small Independents)

Can still use split-fee (3% host + 14–16% guest).
If they opted into single-fee earlier, they’ll also move to 15.5% on Dec 1.

🧹 Cleaning Fees and Extras

Remember: Airbnb applies its commission to the entire booking subtotal:

Nightly rate
Cleaning fee
Extra guest fees

Formula for cleaning fee adjustment: New Cleaning Fee = Old Cleaning Fee × 1.1479

Example:

Old cleaning fee = $100
New cleaning fee = $114.79
After 15.5% cut = $97 payout (same as before).

🤔 Concerns and Fee Display: The Facts

“I’ll be less competitive than split-fee hosts.”

Not true anymore. Since April 2025, Airbnb globally displays the total price (excluding taxes) in search results.

Guests see a single final price, not a fee breakdown.
Whether you’re on split-fee or host-only, the structure is invisible to guests.
Competitiveness comes down to total displayed price, not how fees are split.

“Airbnb is becoming a more expensive channel.”

Yes, structurally: Airbnb’s distribution cost is higher (3% → 15.5%).
But margins can be preserved: managers simply adjust prices using the formula.
Guests end up seeing the same total price as before, because the guest service fee disappears.

👉 This isn’t about losing margin — it’s about understanding the new distribution cost and passing it on smartly.

⚖️ Competitor Comparisons

Vrbo →
- Host side: 5% commission + 3% payment processing ≈ 8% host cost (waived with some PMS setups).
- Guest side: Adds a service fee of 6–15%.
- Implication: Vrbo is cheaper for hosts than Airbnb, but often more expensive for guests, because of its guest-facing service fee.
Booking.com →
- Host side: Base commission of 15%. Often plus 1–3% payment fees if using Payments by Booking.
- Many managers also join Preferred programs, pushing effective commission to 18–20%+.
- Implication: Booking.com is structurally more expensive for hosts than Airbnb once extras are added. But margins can also be protected there by adjusting rates, as managers already do.
Airbnb →
- Now 15.5% (16% Brazil) host-only.
- No guest service fee, no payment surcharges, no “Preferred” upsells.
- Implication: Airbnb’s distribution cost has risen, but with proper pricing adjustments, margins can stay intact. Guest-facing prices often look cleaner and more competitive than Vrbo’s.

🔮 What to Watch

Host pricing behavior → Do managers adjust fully, partially, or under-adjust?
Channel mix → Vrbo may gain share among hosts (lower cost), but Airbnb may gain with guests (no service fee).
Guest reaction → Does Airbnb’s cleaner checkout improve conversion?

✅ Bottom Line

U.S. PMS-connected managers → biggest impact, losing split-fee and moving to 15.5%.
European PMS-connected managers → already on host-only, now nudged from 15% → 15.5%.
Non-PMS hosts → can keep split-fee, unless they had opted into single-fee.

Airbnb’s distribution cost is rising, but margins can be preserved if managers use the formula and adjust nightly rates, cleaning fees, and extras. Guests see the same total price — which may even improve conversion compared to Vrbo’s guest-fee model.

Airbnb Host-Only Fee FAQ: How to Recalculate Your Rates After the Split Fee Ends

Airbnb’s host-only fee raises the cost of distribution. But your payout (margin) can stay the same if you adjust prices using the formulas below. This FAQ shows exactly how.

1. General recalculation questions

How do I calculate my new nightly rate with Airbnb’s host-only fee?

Use this formula:
New Nightly Rate = Old Nightly Rate × (0.97 / 0.845)
or New Nightly Rate = Old Nightly Rate × 1.1479
That equals multiplying your old rate by 1.1479.
Note: This formula ensures your payout remains the same. If instead you want the guest’s total price to remain the same, the multiplier would be ~1.141 (~14.1%).

How to adjust my Airbnb prices after the split fee ends?

Multiply both your nightly rate and your cleaning fee by 1.1479 to maintain the same payout after Airbnb switches from a 3% host fee to a 15.5% host-only fee.

Airbnb 15.5% host fee — how do I increase my nightly rate?

Example:
Host payout = $114.79 × 0.845 = $97 (same as before).
Old nightly rate = $100
New nightly rate = $100 × 1.1479 = $114.79

Formula to calculate new Airbnb price with 15.5% fee?

New Price = Old Price × 1.1479

Airbnb host-only fee calculator

To keep your payout steady:

Nightly Rate: Old × 1.1479
Cleaning Fee: Old × 1.1479
Additional Guest Fee: Old × 1.1479

You can also set up a simple Excel/Google Sheet with this formula.

2. Cleaning fee specific

Does Airbnb take 15.5% from my cleaning fee?

Yes. Airbnb applies the host service fee to the entire booking subtotal (nightly rate + cleaning fee + extra guest fees).

How to calculate my new Airbnb cleaning fee after the host-only fee?

A: Multiply your old cleaning fee by 1.1479. Example:

Host payout = $97
Old cleaning fee = $100
New cleaning fee = $114.79

Airbnb host fee cleaning fee calculation

Formula:
New Cleaning Fee = Old Cleaning Fee x 1.1479

3. Comparisons (before vs after)

Airbnb split fee vs host-only fee payout examples

Model	Host Fee	Guest Fee	Example Nightly Rate	Host Payout	Guest Price
Split Fee	3% (~$3)	14–16% (~$14)	$100	$97	$117–119 + tax
Host-Only Fee	15.5% (~$15.50)	0%	$114.79	$97	$114.79 + tax

Note: If rates are adjusted to keep the guest’s total price the same (~14.1% increase), the host payout will be slightly lower.

How much more does Airbnb take under the new single host fee?

Airbnb’s host-side commission jumps from 3% → 15.5%. Structurally, that’s over 5× higher. But your margin doesn’t have to shrink if you apply the formula and adjust your prices

Airbnb 3% vs 15.5% host fee — what’s the difference?

With split fee, hosts paid a small 3% but guests saw a service fee line (14–16%). With host-only, hosts pay 15.5% and guests see no service fee. Total cost to the guest is similar, but the host shoulders all the commission.

4. Channel manager / dynamic pricing tool questions

How do I update my Airbnb markup in my PMS after the host-only fee change?

Do not change your base rates in PriceLabs. Instead, update your PMS markup for Airbnb from ~3% (split-fee era) to ~18.3%. This ensures Airbnb pricing adjusts correctly for the new 15.5% host-only fee, without disrupting your settings for other channels like Booking.com or Vrbo.

How to adjust rates in PriceLabs for Airbnb 15.5% fee?

Update your base/minimum rate settings in PriceLabs using the formula (Old Rate × 1.1479). If your PMS doesn’t support separate Airbnb markups, be careful not to unintentionally raise prices across Booking.com or Vrbo.

Channel manager Airbnb new host fee calculation

Adjust your Airbnb markup in your PMS to ~18.3% (instead of ~3% under split-fee). This keeps your Airbnb pricing aligned with the new host-only fee model. Don’t lower it to 15.5%, or you’ll undercut your payout.

5. Profitability / payout focus

How to keep my payout the same with Airbnb’s new fee?

Multiply both nightly rates and cleaning fees by 1.1479. This ensures your payout remains stable.

How to calculate Airbnb host payout after 15.5% fee?

Host Payout = New Price x 0.845
Example: $114.79 × 0.845 = $97.

What should my nightly rate be on Airbnb now?

New Nightly Rate = Old Nightly Rate x 1.1479

So if your old rate was $200, your new rate should be ~$229.58.

6. Airbnb’s Single Fee Impact

If Airbnb now takes 15.5%, how much should I charge?

Multiply your current nightly rate and cleaning fee by 1.1479.

How to increase my Airbnb prices to cover new fees?

Use the formula above or simply add ~15% to your nightly rate and cleaning fee to offset Airbnb’s new commission.

Airbnb host-only fee: how do I update my listing price?

Nightly Rate = Old × 1.1479
Cleaning Fee = Old × 1.1479
Extra Guest Fee = Old × 1.1479

This ensures your net payout is unchanged. Remember: while the fee structure has changed, guests now see a single total price with no Airbnb service fee line. The guest-facing cost is similar; the difference is in how the commission is allocated.

📅 Timeline

🧮 How to Recalculate Your Rates