Short-term rental
Airbnb vs long-term.
Enter the short-term numbers and the long-term rent for the same home. See annual net for each and the occupancy where they tie.
Compare annual net: short-term net = occupancy-driven revenue after fees and cleaning minus costs; long-term net = rent for the months occupied minus costs. In the example, short-term nets $9,034.50 against $4,850.00 long-term, a difference of $4,184.50.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
Short-term: 365 x 62% = 226.30 nights, 3-night stays, $190 rate and $90 cleaning fee, less the 15.5% fee, less $80 cleaning per stay and $450 a month of short-term costs and 12 x $1,800 of costs you pay either way. Net is $9,034.50 a year ($752.88 a month). Long-term: $2,300 x (12 - 0.5) months = $26,450, minus 12 x $1,800 of costs you pay either way, net $4,850.00 ($404.17 a month). The short-term case nets $4,184.50 more. Short-term ties the long-term result at 54.80% occupancy.
How it works
Short-term net is a straight line in occupancy, so the tie point is solved directly rather than searched for. Costs you pay either way (mortgage, property tax, insurance) are charged to both sides so the difference is purely the rental model.
Not included: income tax, furnishing and replacement for the short-term case, your time, and licence or zoning limits on short stays. Local rules can cap how many nights you may rent or require a licence; check yours.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-08): Airbnb can change its fees at any time, so check your own payout breakdown. Fee levels from Airbnb service fees - Airbnb Help Centre, opened 2026-10-08. The rest is arithmetic on your inputs. Not legal or tax advice.
Not legal, tax or financial advice. Local licensing, zoning and tax rules vary. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
FAQ
Which costs belong in the short-term only box?
Utilities you cover, internet, streaming, supplies, software and similar items that a long-term tenant would normally pay or that do not exist in a long-term lease.
Is the break-even occupancy a prediction?
No. It is the booked share of nights at which short-term and long-term net are equal, using your inputs. Compare it with what similar homes in your market achieve.
What about rules and licences?
Many places limit or license short-term rentals, and some leases or condo rules forbid them. This tool does not check any of that. Confirm what applies to your property.