Short-term rental hosts
Minimum nightly rate to break even.
Enter fixed monthly costs, expected occupancy and per-stay costs. See the lowest nightly rate that breaks even, the rate that hits a profit target, and the occupancy you need at your current rate. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Break-even rate = (fixed costs + stays x net cost per stay) / (booked nights x (1 - host fee)). The example needs $137.46 a night to break even and $167.38 to earn $500 a month.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
Fixed costs are $2,200 a month. At 65% occupancy you book 19.8 nights and 6.6 stays of 3 nights. Each stay costs $70 cleaning + $8 supplies = $78, but the $75 cleaning fee brings back $75 x (1 - 0.155) = $63.38 after the host fee, so the net cost per stay is $14.63. Break-even rate = ($2,200 + 6.6 x $14.63) / (19.8 x 0.845) = $137.46. For $500 a month profit the rate is $167.38. At a $150 rate you need 59.35% occupancy to break even and earn $209.57 a month at 65%.
How it works
Monthly result = booked nights x rate x (1 - fee) + stays x (cleaning fee x (1 - fee) - cleaning cost - supplies) - fixed costs. Setting the result to 0, or to your target, and solving for the rate gives the minimum nightly rate. Booked nights use 30.42 days a month (365 / 12).
Break-even occupancy solves the same equation for nights at the rate you enter. A listing priced at break-even earns nothing for your time or risk, so treat the target-profit rate as the real floor. To model the whole profit picture, use the Airbnb profit calculator.
Sources and basis: Airbnb Help Centre, Airbnb service fees (opened 2026-10-08), says that under the split-fee structure most hosts pay a 3% host service fee and guests pay 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal, and that under the single-fee structure most hosts pay 15.5%, with the fee taken as a percentage of the nightly price plus any fees the host charges. Fees change and vary by listing, so enter the figure from your own host account. Occupancy and costs are your own estimates; no market average is assumed.
Local short-term rental licensing, zoning and tax rules vary, so check your municipality. This is arithmetic on the numbers you enter, not tax or legal advice.
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FAQ
How do I find the minimum nightly rate for my Airbnb?
Add up fixed monthly costs and per-stay costs, then divide by the nights you expect to book after the platform fee. The example needs $137.46 to break even.
Why does occupancy change the break-even rate?
Fixed costs are spread over booked nights. Fewer booked nights means each one has to carry more cost, so the minimum rate rises.
Should I price at break-even?
No. Break-even leaves nothing for your time, vacancy surprises or repairs. Use the target-profit rate as your floor.
Why is the cleaning fee in the formula?
You collect it and then pay the platform fee on it, so it offsets part of the cleaning and supplies cost. Only the net cost per stay needs to be earned through the nightly rate.